CFS100 - Walsh Ch. 8

Adolescence

The Endocrine System

• Produces the hormones that cause puberty

  • Threshold body of fat

Puberty

• Physical growth spurt

• Primary & secondary sex characteristics

• Age: influenced by both genes & the environment 

• Health & nutrition

• Puberty affects how adolescents see themselves, & how they are seen by others

  • Body image & satisfaction

Early puberty risks:

• Average age of onset of puberty is getting younger in Western cultures

  • Sexual activity

  • Self-esteem

Primary Sexual Characteristics in Males

• Penis

• Scrotum

• Testes

Primary Sexual Characteristics in Females

• Ovaries

• Uterus 

• Vagina

Secondary Sexual Characteristics In Males

• Pubic Hair

• Underarm hair

• Facial hair

Secondary Sexual Characteristics In Females

• Pubic hair

• Underarm hair

• Breast development

Sleep

• Affected by puberty

• Most teens do not get enough sleep

• Sleep deprivation is associated with diminished physical, cognitive, & emotional health, thus putting teens who do not get enough sleep at risk for problems w/ weight, academics, behavior, & relationships

Cognitive Development

• Brain maturation: thinking becomes more abstract, multidimensional, & relative

• Limbic System

Limbic System

• Instinctual & emotional part of the brain, develops more rapidly than the prefrontal cortex, or the part of the brain responsible for higher order thinking

  • Adolescents are more likely to engage in impulsive or risky behavior compared to adults

Social Life

• More time w/ peers, at school, engaged in extracurricular activities, & work

• Family remains important

  • Role models

  • Advisors

• Identity formation

  • Family values, morals, beliefs, & practices may be challenged

Research

• Sexuality: dating, romantic relationships across adolescence, & sexual activity

• Schools: size, safety, curriculum, & climate 

• Psychosocial problems: depression, substance abuse, &/or antisocial behavior

  • risk prevention & intervention

Career Options

• Education sector:

  • college preparation programs

  • teen parent programs

• Support services:

  • physical, intellectual, or emotional special needs are viable sources of employment

• Community-based employment:

  • foster care system

  • homeless youth

  • substance abuse

  • crisis hotline

  • teen centers

• Mental health