Adolescence
In adolescence the problems of identity begin to emerge strongly, and it is not uncommon for the adolescent to become something of a rebel. Adolescence is a stage of conflict between dependence and independence in which it is difficult to reconcile a world that "ought to be" with the world "as is." It is also a time of positive growth, however erratic it may seem to the adult. Adolescence is more than just childhood extended. It may be described negatively as the "un" stage-unbalanced, unstable, and unpredictable. It may also be described positively as a time when a low threshold for boredom is counteracted by an even lower threshold for stimulation; it takes very little to ignore adolescent enthusiasm, Adolescence is a period of transition between childhood and adulthood, a thne when a few bad decisions can lead to delinquency or a few lucky breaks to a good start in working toward. a future.
Adolescence extends from the time preceding sexual maturity to the age of indep,endence. For boys, who mature somewhat later than girls, we regard'.preadolescence as the period roughly from ten to thirteen years of age, early adolescence from thirteen to seventeen, and late adolescence from eighteen to twenty-one. For girls, preadolescence falls between ten and eleven, early adolescence frem twelve to sixteen, and late adolescence from seventeen to twenty-one. It is, of course, somewhat arbitrary that we separate adolescence from early youth. In reality, some adolescents are more mature than some older people.
