Adolescent psychology is an ambiguous term, because on the one hand, it is a science that studies the behavior of children who have entered puberty, and on the other, the age-specific behavior and distinctive features of mental processes.
In fact, teenage psychology is quite contradictory, its distinguishing feature is inconstancy and frequent manifestations of rebellion. In adolescence, a child says goodbye to childhood: he begins to learn a lot of new things about his personality and think critically, denying the usual behavioral norms.
Features of adolescent development
Puberty is considered one of the most difficult periods in a child’s development. During puberty, a child begins to develop into an adult. This is reflected in all aspects of a teenager’s life, affecting anatomical and physical formation, intellectual and moral development, etc. Adolescence is also reflected in educational, work and play activities.
Since during puberty the whole life of a child changes, his psyche also adapts, old foundations are broken and new ones appear. Studying becomes more difficult due to more serious requirements, increased workload and new subjects. As a result, the child is forced to learn to think deeper, generalize and give arguments.
Also, the child’s principles, worldview, certain social position, and position in the environment change. In his home circle, his opinion becomes more significant, along with this, new demands are made, which become more serious every year.
With increased school workload, the teenager's intelligence became more and more refined. Previously unprecedented modifications of character arise, he begins to think, analyze situations, reason, and so on. The period of maturation of a child’s personality is directly related to puberty, which makes the situation much more complicated.
Psychology of a teenager: brief information
Psychology of adolescence is applicable to children 11-17 years old. This is the period of emergence of new personality traits. It is already customary to treat a child like an adult, but you still have to bear responsibility for him, like a child.
At this time, many parents lose contact with their children, plunging into a series of unproductive conflicts. On the other hand, parental connivance also causes serious problems.
Even if a teenager's communication style becomes unacceptable to parents, you need to continue talking to him. Have the strength to say no when you really need to. A lot of impulsive behavior happens in adolescence, so parents have to be constantly on guard. It is important to discuss with teenagers their intentions.
How to talk to a teenager so that a serious crisis does not happen. Do this in a friendly and business-like manner - as with an adult. Firmness is important in cases where the child begins to “skid”.
The psychology of adolescence is structured in such a way that the child resists any imposition in every possible way and tries to defend his freedom. They feel like adults and require appropriate treatment. Suspecting that they are being treated differently, they become indignant.
No matter how difficult it may be, teenagers need to be supported and gently controlled, even when you want to give up. Self-elimination can lead to even bigger problems that you will have to solve later.
Common problems of adolescence
The main trends of advancement in society have become more complex, the rhythm of life has accelerated, and the preference for a hedonic lifestyle has an impact on the development of the modern teenager. In this regard, children often show aggression, passivity or are depressed, and therefore cannot determine the correct moral values and understand the meaning of their existence.
The psychology of modern teenagers differs significantly from the psychology of children and adults. The main value becomes one's own pleasure. Equally important things fade into the background.
The main problems of adolescence include:
- inability to manage anger, passive-aggressive behavior in order to unbalance adults and lack of awareness that arises due to the suppression of one’s emotions.
- emotional instability.
- thoughts of suicide, which are caused by low self-esteem, indifference on the part of parents, depression and a feeling of loneliness.
- intimate attraction to individuals of the same sex.
- teenage depression, which is expressed by depressed mood, feelings of worthlessness, somatic abnormalities and other reasons.
Anatomy and physiological characteristics of adolescents
The teenage period is characterized, first of all, by physical changes - the proportions of a teenager’s body, his height and weight change. Body growth occurs disproportionately - first the head, arms and legs reach the size of an adult, and then the torso. This provokes internal conflict and non-acceptance of oneself by a teenager.
There is a rapid development of the muscular system, which negatively affects the cardiovascular system. Changes in vascular and muscle tone lead to rapid fatigue and a sharp change in emotional state in adolescents. Such disruptions are also observed in other organs: the heart, lungs, and the blood supply to the brain is disrupted.
The rapid growth of organs and the body is due to the influence of sex hormones. This process is characterized by the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics.
Overcoming a crisis period: advice from a psychologist
Take advice from a psychologist. What will help overcome the crisis?
To do this, the child will have to complete a number of tasks:
- Positive relationships with peers, friendships.
- Accepting your own appearance.
- Acceptance of one’s gender, awareness of what the female and male social roles are.
- Friendly, trusting contact with parents.
- Acquiring responsibility and initiative.
- Awareness of your abilities, choice of profession.
Without the help of parents, it is difficult to get through the crisis safely. Father and mother should recognize that their child is a separate, independent person. Change your behavior model if you see acute rejection of the previous model.
The above completed tasks indicate that the crisis has been overcome. The role of parents in this is great - a lot depends on their behavior. Does your son or daughter need advice or conversation? Don't push them away by thinking the problem is stupid and not worth bothering with. What is trivial to you can be incredibly meaningful to a high school student. Later he will understand the insignificance of the situation, but now it is of great importance to him.
Often a teenager unknowingly tests his parents’ strength. If you want to gain the authority and respect of your daughter or son, it all depends on your behavior. Prohibitions must be justified and observed. Warnings are real and implemented. It’s stupid to say: “I’ll kill you if you don’t come back on time and without warning,” or to threaten to “turn off the Internet” without subsequent implementation. The teenager begins to perceive all words spoken by his parents as empty. There is no longer any talk about authority and respect.
He should understand in advance what the consequences of violations are. Voice threats that you are ready and able to carry out - keep your word. For example, this could be deprivation of something for a certain time: computer games, watching TV, a short walk with friends, etc.
There's no point in getting carried away. Sanctions and punishments are extreme measures. It is much better if you establish a relationship of trust with your child. Trust, requests, a spirit of support, respect and cooperation are preferable to orders. It is difficult to achieve close and warm relationships if mistakes were made at the previous age stage.
Psychology and physiology at 15 years old
Psychology of age
At the age of 15, the emotional and psychological state of adolescents returns to normal.
The ability to control your emotions and actions begins to develop. The final formation of character occurs earlier in girls.
The perception of boys and girls is very different. The former go ahead to achieve their goals, the latter try to act less radically, looking for roundabout ways.
Young people are more likely than girls to show unreliability and rebel.
But the most problematic at this age are girls who experience their feelings in such a way that they are not visible to others. Therefore, the motives for many actions of the fairer sex remain unclear.
During this period, a sense of humor develops and irony appears.
Children learn to think originally by putting familiar objects or people in unexpected situations.
An ideal appears that teenagers strive to conform to both in appearance and clothing, and in behavior. Any deviation from the standard turns out to be very painful.
Physiology of age
At the age of 15, the maturation of the body ends.
Previously, the limbs grew unevenly, the body remained small. Now the body begins to grow rapidly. Girls are less active and much calmer than boys.
In girls, a subcutaneous fat layer begins to form, which is distributed throughout the body, forming the outline of the figure. The menstrual cycle is normalized.
The chest takes on a rounded shape.
In boys, the back and pectoral muscles begin to develop, the body gets rid of childhood roundness, and subcutaneous fat disappears.
Sperm maturation occurs. The “breaking of the voice” ends, the shape of the larynx finally changes: the thyroid cartilage acquires a sharp protrusion formed due to the peculiar connection of the plates.
The Adam's apple appears.
Phases of the teenage crisis
Psychologist Lev Semenovich Vygotsky identified three basic phases in the teenage crisis:
- Negative, or pre-crisis . The earliest stage, which can show the first signs as early as 9-10 years. Characterized by the beginning of a transition to a new type of interaction with others. The child begins to abandon the old value system, breaks stereotypes, changes his attitude towards himself and others. Childhood relationships with parents no longer suit him, but he is not yet ready for an adult system of interaction. The child develops new interests, different views, and the environment begins to change.
- Directly crisis stage . Often this stage reaches its peak at 13-15 years of age. It can manifest itself in different ways: from maximum protest, conflict and irritability in all areas of life, to a gradual transition to new roles, relationships and self-perception. New ways of thinking develop, new opportunities and interests appear. The teenager defends his opinion and the ability to make decisions independently, and separates himself from parental influence and control.
- Positive, or post-crisis . It is considered the final stage of the pubertal crisis. During this period, the teenager already forms values and priorities, determines the vector of further development and interests. Puberty is almost over, your place in society among your peers is determined. The teenager strengthens the core of interests and continues to develop them in the future.
It is impossible to say exactly how long each phase lasts. In many ways, the duration of the stages depends not only on the teenager, but also on the correct reaction of parents to the manifestations of the crisis.
What can a teenager do?
If there are positive relationships in the family, it will not be difficult to keep a teenager busy.
Some options:
- Cooking together . Choose a dish that your child really likes - ask for help with its preparation. Cooking dinner with your parents is a great way to help your son or daughter learn teamwork skills.
- Board games . Currently, there is a huge variety of such games. This is a great pastime that lifts the mood and develops the thinking of a teenager. Choose a game that will appeal to all players.
- Attending interesting events in accordance with the preferences of the teenager . This could be a car exhibition, a concert, a trip to the cinema, an art exhibition, an exciting master class, etc.
- Sports . If you have an active child, then he will like some kind of amateur sports section. The choice is great!
- Hobby . If you feel the need to keep your teenager occupied with something, this indicates that he does not have a hobby that would absorb him to the fullest. Try to understand what your child likes and what he would like to do. Programming, football, tailoring, dancing, martial arts? Talk to him about it - every child should have a hobby.
Features of the crisis in girls and boys
Puberty progresses differently in girls and boys. In girls, as a rule, symptoms of the transition period begin to appear at the age of 10-11 years. At the same time, the signs of crisis are rather weakly expressed in them. Boys enter adolescence later - from about 12-13 years old. But the course of the crisis period is much more pronounced. This is mainly due to the fact that society traditionally has stricter requirements for boys and men than for girls and women.
In adolescent boys, the following traits are most pronounced:
- Aggression, anger . Behavior changes in relationships both with peers and with adults - parents, teachers. This is mainly due to an increase in testosterone production in the body.
- Sudden outbursts of emotions . Mood swings, like unreasonable aggression, are caused by hormonal changes.
- Dulled feeling of fear . Teenagers often engage in extreme sports and decide to take rash actions. The reason is also a change in testosterone levels.
- The desire for independence . Boys want to be seen as grown men. To do this, they need to solve problems on their own, which is not always possible for a teenager. The inability to cope with troubles on your own causes a disturbance in mental balance.
- The desire to lead a lifestyle typical of adult men . Teenagers want to do loud things and even heroic deeds. However, they do not always realize the consequences of rash actions.
- Interest in intimate aspects of life . Manifests itself in a strong attraction to the opposite sex.
- Preoccupation with appearance . It is wrong to think that boys are less concerned about their appearance than girls. Changes in appearance make teenagers vulnerable, and dissatisfaction with their own appearance leads to isolation, uncertainty, and low self-esteem. They do not tolerate criticism of themselves, and they perceive any rash comment as negatively as possible.
In girls, adolescence is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Concern with appearance . Girls are acutely aware of their inconsistency with generally accepted canons of beauty. This is developing especially clearly against the backdrop of the popularization of social networks. They want to be like their beautiful friends, artists, influencers. They begin to follow fashion and want to dress in trendy things.
- Desire to attract attention . Teenagers strive to show how interesting their inner world is and how unusual their views on life are. To attract attention, they use provocative behavior, dress in too flashy outfits, apply expressive makeup, and dye their hair bright colors.
- Mood swings . In girls, as in boys, hormonal fluctuations cause mood swings, irritability, outbursts of anger and aggression.
- Interest in the opposite sex . Unlike boys, girls are more interested in platonic love. Often at this age they fall in love. If the first love turns out to be unrequited, this can lead to serious complications of the crisis - isolation, depression, suicidal tendencies.
Various distortions of manifestations depend on upbringing, environment, and standards established in society.
What are the characteristics of children of adolescence
Parents and teachers need to know how adolescence differs from other periods of life. Understanding the processes that occur at the physiological and mental level allows you to survive the crisis more calmly, without serious shocks, and maintain a warm relationship with your child.
Hormonal storms and psychological maturation, the desire to separate from the family creates a great burden. It causes special behavior and reactions in adolescents.
They are embarrassed by the stares. Embarrassment is associated with an overly critical attitude towards one’s own appearance and a painful perception of criticism.
Growing children depend on the opinions of friends and classmates. Under the influence of peers they can harm themselves. It is important for teenagers to show their strength and fearlessness and not “disgrace themselves.”
The period from 13 to 15 years is considered especially dangerous. It is then that children often commit rash actions that are dangerous to themselves and others.
Active hormonal changes make themselves felt not only by mood swings, but also by memory loss. Children aged 13-15 often find it difficult to maintain attention in lessons and remember new material.
Teenagers think about their purpose in life, study what they like and what doesn’t suit them. This manifests itself both in worldview and in appearance. That is why you can often see teenagers in unusual clothes, with piercings and tattoos, with hair dyed in all colors of the rainbow.
How to behave correctly with a teenager
Teach your teenager the right attitude towards business. Help him become organized, achieve his goals, and carry out everything planned. Teach him attentiveness, gentleness, and endurance. Many children in adolescence lack these qualities. The best learning is by example.
Teenagers are prone to pessimism: self-criticism, internal accusations. They reproach themselves for various mistakes, they are not confident in their own appearance and mental abilities. Think of it not as a teenage trait, but as a bad habit that needs to be broken. By giving up negativism, a person can more easily achieve big goals. Help your son or daughter love themselves.
What parental behavior is considered wrong in this case? A typical mistake, when faced with unwanted behavior of a previously obedient child, is to demonstrate uncontrollable aggression or demonstratively become emotional. This is where education ends. It turns out that the teenager’s negative behavior entails the family’s negative behavior, and this provokes the child to an even more negative reaction.
When a difficult age is accompanied by regular conflicts with others, this turns into a crisis of adolescence. The child is trying to prove that he is an independent person, separate from his parents. He tries to hide his personal life and experiences from his family so as not to feel controlled. In most cases, the crisis is inevitable and has no biological basis.
What is characteristic of a crisis? Teenagers demonstrate independence, autonomy, and make demands on their parents. Try to work ahead of the crisis. How to do it? By a difficult age, the child’s personality should be as fully formed as possible. Instill responsibility, parental authority, build positive friendships.
