Early adolescents, 13- to 15-year-olds, are changing rapidly physically, emotionally and socially. Physically, "not since infancy has development been so dramatic," according to "Understanding Psychology". Emotionally, they encounter "pressures to identify what one wants do with one's life" for the first time, the "Psychology" textbook states. Socially, they seek independence by spending less time with their parents. Parents and teachers can help early adolescents cope with their physical, emotional and social changes.
Sexual Maturity
"Early in adolescence, sexual curiosity explodes," according to "An Invitation to Health." Most boys ejaculate for the first time in early adolescence, and their most rapid penis growth occurs between the ages of 13 and 15. Girls develop earlier, but early adolescents are being pursued for the first time by older, sexually mature boys. Early adolescents with academic, behavioral, emotional and social problems are the "most likely to engage in early sexual activity," the college textbook reports. Parents and teachers can prevent early adolescents from making mistakes by addressing their problems.
Sex Education
School involvement is critical in helping early adolescents understand their newfound sexuality. Sex education programs benefit eighth- and ninth-graders more than younger or older students because early adolescents need the information when their sexuality is exploding, according to "An Invitation to Health". The programs help early adolescents become more sexually responsible and more respectful toward the opposite gender. In addition, early adolescents who are given homework assignments that involve their parents are "more likely to avoid risky sexual behavior."
Identity
Early adolescents begin the Identity vs. Role Confusion stage of their life, a stage that ends in late adolescence, according to prominent child psychologist Erik Erikson. "Understanding Psychology" reports that Erikson concluded that early adolescents "attempt to discover who they are" and what their strengths are. Parents need to encourage early adolescents to explore their various educational and possible future career interests, and schools need to offer them programs they are interested in. Extracurricular activities help early adolescents develop skills that boost their self-esteem.
Parenting Styles
Students with authoritative parents performed much better in high school than students with permissive or authoritarian parents, according to a study of 7,836 students, "Educational Psychology," a college textbook, reports. Authoritative parents set clear standards for their children, but encourage them to develop their individuality. Authoritarian parents try to control every detail of their children's lives. A second study showed that 6,400 students with authoritative parents were more involved in classroom and extracurricular activities.
Teacher Styles
Teachers can help early adolescents improve academically and socially by recognizing whether they need more guidance or independence. "Expert teachers" even know how to "counteract" the negative effect of authoritarian parents, according to "Educational Psychology." These teachers can help students learn how to do things on their own rather than obey orders by letting them choose their assignments and can boost their self-esteem by praising them when they do things right.
References
- "Understanding Psychology"; Robert S. Feldman; 2002
- "An Invitation to Health"; Dianne Hales; 2003
- "Educational Psychology"; Robert J. Sternberg and Wendy M. Williams; 2002
