3500 Chapter 11: Challenges of Adolescence

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions related to challenges faced during adolescence, including psychological and behavioural issues.

Adolescent Challenges

Emotional, behavioural, or psychological difficulties that commonly appear during adolescence.

Status Offence

A behaviour considered illegal only for minors because of age restrictions.

Externalizing Problems

Difficulties expressed outwardly through actions affecting others or the environment.

Internalizing Problems

Difficulties expressed inwardly through emotional distress directed toward the self.

Comorbidity

Having two or more psychological or behavioural problems at the same time.

Delinquency

Illegal or rule-breaking behaviour committed by adolescents.

Index Crimes

The most serious categories of crime used in official crime statistics.

Life-Course-Persistent Offenders

Individuals whose antisocial behaviour begins early in life and continues into adulthood.

Adolescence-Limited Offenders

Individuals whose antisocial behaviour mainly appears during adolescence and usually stops as they mature.

Hostile Attributional Bias

The tendency to assume another person's actions are meant to be hostile.

Instrumental Use

Taking a substance to achieve a practical purpose rather than for pleasure.

Recreational Use

Taking a substance mainly to experience its pleasurable psychological effects.

Psychoactive Substances

Substances that affect the brain and change mood, thinking, perception, or behaviour.

Drug Dependence

The body or mind becomes used to a substance and begins to rely on it to function normally.

Drug Withdrawal

The physical or emotional discomfort that occurs when a dependent person stops using a substance.

Anorexia Nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by severe restriction of food intake due to fear of gaining weight.

Bulimia Nervosa

An eating disorder involving repeated episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviours.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A treatment that helps identify and change unhealthy thoughts and behaviours.

Depression

A mood disorder involving persistent sadness, loss of interest, and difficulty in functioning.

Diathesis-Stress Model

Explains depression as developing from an interaction of underlying vulnerability and stressful life events.

Stress Factors

Life events or ongoing pressures that increase emotional strain and can trigger depression.

Cognitive Factors

Ways of thinking that increase the risk for depression.

Learned Helplessness

The belief that nothing a person does can improve a difficult situation.

Hopelessness

The belief that future problems will not improve and positive change is unlikely.

Rumination

Repeatedly thinking about negative feelings or problems without moving toward solutions.

Suicide

Intentional self-inflicted death, often linked to severe emotional distress or psychiatric difficulty.

Suicide Risk Factors

Factors such as depression, family problems, and bullying that increase the risk of suicide.

Positive Youth Development

Focuses on strengths, resilience, and supports that help adolescents succeed despite challenges.

Peer Influence

Impact that peers have on an individual’s actions and behaviours during adolescence.

Puberty

The period of rapid physical maturation involving hormonal and bodily changes.

Emotional Intensity

Increased emotional reactions during adolescence that can lead to heightened risk of challenges.

Maturity Gap

The discrepancy between physical maturity and emotional or psychological maturity in adolescents.

Substance Abuse

Excessive use of substances that leads to significant impairment or distress.

Anxiety Disorders

Mental health disorders characterized by excessive fear or anxiety.

Eating Disorders

Severe disturbances in eating behaviours and related concerns.

Truancy

The act of being absent from school without permission.

Curfew Violations

Breaking laws that dictate the time minors must be home.

Aggression

Hostile or violent behaviour toward others.

Delinquent Acts

Actions that break the law and are committed by youth.

Protective Factors

Supports that help reduce the likelihood of adverse outcomes in adolescents.

Social Comparison

Evaluating oneself in relation to others.

Identity Pressure

Stress related to the formation of a personal sense of self during adolescence.

Family Conflict

Disagreements and arguments within the family that can lead to stress.

Academic Pressure

Stress related to school performance and expectations.

Social Stress

Emotional strain resulting from relationships and social expectations.

Negative Interpretations

Distorted or pessimistic thinking that can trigger or worsen depression.

Self-Blame

Attributing responsibility for negative events to oneself.

Emotional Distress

Intense emotional suffering or discomfort.

Binge Eating

Eating large quantities of food in a short period accompanied by a feeling of loss of control.

Purging Methods

Behaviours used to eliminate food from the body after eating.

Coping Skills

Strategies that help individuals manage stress and overcome challenges.

Resilience

The ability to recover from difficulties.

Substance Use Disorders

Conditions characterized by an individual's compulsive use of substances despite harmful consequences.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Physical or mental effects that occur when a dependent person stops using a substance.