Problems in Adolscence
Adolescence is a stage of conflict between dependence and independence, a period of transition between childhood and adulthood during which maturity comes through ups and downs. It is a stage of emotional unbalance, of nervous habits, of fear and worry, when emotional expressions are often intense and out of control. It is also a stage of gradually learning to solve problems; here, counseling can be helpful.
The adolescent needs social experimentation and approval. Self-evaluation is gradually determined as the adolescent perceives how he or she is rated by peers. The need for belonging to a group becomes very important in adolescence. Peer groups come into existence informally, typically avoiding supervision by adults. Interests are highly individual although influenced by sex, age, physical development, and the climate of opportunity. It is in adolescence that role differentiations come on strongly, with particular emphasis on woman's struggle for identity. Strains and inconsistencies are built into some of the expected roles of women, often reaching uncomfortable proportions.
For many people the misuse of drugs begins in adolescence. Both ignorance and, in some measure, the search for identity in adolescence and youth may lead to misguided ways. The role of drug-using parents has been found to enhance but not initiate drug use among their children. Theories of drug use include, first, personality and psychological needs; second, interactional theory, which stresses learning through association; and third, sociological theory, which holds that youth may turn to drugs to show their opposition to the life-styles of the establishment. Questions of the drug scene center on abuse, habituation and addiction, drug tolerance and dependence, and about where one can go for help.
The dimensions of self include the basic concept, the transitory perception of self, the social self, and the ideal self. The concept of self is molded by reward and punishment, praise and blame, and by the feelings of a2complishment that come with solving a problem. Finally, the adolescent discovers that the self must be determined individually. Adolescence provides an interactional situation in which, at each age group, the individual problems have much in common, and learning by trial and error plays a major part.
Changes in cultural traditions and in attitudes are bringin about changing patterns of dating as a form of social behavior. Regardless of how, adolescents, like adults, come together through some mutual attraction. The nature of liking and loving becomes important.
The success or failure of a marriage is determined by the quality of adjustments husband and wife make to each other. Sexual compatibility is a significant factor in marital adjustment. Other factors relate to decision making, choice, personality, education, religion, age, and the. stresses of living with children. Success in marriag hinges on a decision process of selecting a mate with maturity of judgment. A knowledge survey on sexual relations showed that many teenagers are ignorant of birth control information and venereal disease.
