Introduction
The adolescent stage of development is essential as the time when valuable social and cognitive skills are acquired. Moreover, at this step, a person learns new about one’s body, experiences physical and hormonal changes, and displays individual sexual characteristics for the first time. Adolescents are often viewed as a difficult age group due to the complexity of psycho-emotional states that are typical at this age. Hormonal surges, peer relationships, physical changes, and other factors largely affect the development of a teenager’s personality and should be taken into account as critical aspects to consider when establishing interactions with adults. This article is aimed at analyzing identity development in adolescence, the neurological shifts that occur at this age, as well as other changes characteristic of adolescents. Sexuality and gender-related behavior are the criteria that are shaped among teenagers because of these changes and often determine the individual traits and characteristics of personality development in the future, which explains the need to review these peculiarities thoroughly to highlight specific trends.
Identity Development in Adolescence
During adolescence, identity development occurs, and this process is critically important since it affects the later life of a teenager. Peer relationships during early adolescence are essential due to their impact on social views. As a person grows older, they need closer and more immediate friendships that allow sharing of experiences and innermost thoughts. The desire to establish oneself with a diverse mass of peers, including many people of different types, is a characteristic feature of this age stage (Branje et al., 2021). As Branje et al. (2021) argue, during this period, the necessary skills of social interaction and the consciousness of group belonging are developed. In addition, identity development in adolescence is closely related to the development of the capacity for intimate, trusting relationships. A family is a micro group that provides the socialization of a teenager’s personality and reflects all the social problems inherent in a particular society. In this environment, young people learn the initial interactions with others because the family translates social and family norms and values (Branje et al., 2021). The relationship between these types of norms influences adolescent behavior and individual personality trait formation.
Neurological Changes Related to Emerging Sexual Characteristics
As they grow older, boys’ and girls’ bodies change, which is reflected not only in the external features of physical development but also neurologically. In general, puberty is characterized by hormone-induced mood swings, and any neurological symptoms may be caused by these changes. As Klein et al. (2017) note, emerging sexual characteristics can manifest themselves as physical ailments, such as headaches or vision problems. Nonetheless, such symptoms are the result of changes in the brain during puberty, which cannot be ignored but, at the same time, maybe assessed as natural concomitant manifestations. A growing body has a good ability to adapt, but increased psycho-emotional and mental stress can lead to the aforementioned complications. Moreover, against the background of hormonal surges, temporary problems, such as sleep disturbance or anxiety, may arise (Klein et al., 2017). Therefore, in the absence of obvious pathologies or delayed sexual development, neurological changes are often a natural process at this age stage.
Hormonal Changes in Adolescence
Hormonal changes in adolescents are accompanied by an increase in the concentration of androgens and estrogens in boys and girls, respectively. According to Wierenga et al. (2018), in young males, during puberty, due to an increase in testosterone concentration, the “development of pallidum, accumbens, hippocampus, and amygdala volumes” is observed (p. 105). In young females, in turn, changes are reflected in increased “caudate and hippocampal volumes” (Wierenga et al., 2018, p. 105). These hormonal shifts are natural and cannot be halted because this can disrupt the natural growth process of the adolescent body. Laube et al. (2020) emphasize the role of sexual differentiation, which is observed during this period, and note behavioral changes against the background of the need for teenagers to adapt to new principles of interaction with peers. In severe cases, some accompanying mental problems can develop, caused by rapid changes in the brain, such as anxiety and eating disorders, and even schizophrenia (Laube et al., 2020). Nevertheless, these conditions are pathological and manifest themselves in a purely individual way.
Physical Changes in Adolescence
Since adolescence is characterized by puberty, at this age, physiological differences between boys and girls are manifested in secondary sexual characteristics. More hair on the face and body, a change in voice due to the transformation of the laryngeal cartilage, more active growth of muscle mass, and some other changes are characteristic of adolescent boys (Worthman & Trang, 2018). In girls, puberty is characterized by menarche, breast development, fat growth in the buttocks, and other features (Worthman & Trang, 2018). Sex differences also manifest themselves in the nature and duration of puberty, which occurs earlier in girls and is not as acute as in boys (Worthman & Trang, 2018). A common feature in boys and girls is body growth, which is actively increasing due to changes in the nervous and endocrine systems. All organs and tissues also grow rapidly due to the influence of sex hormones and thyroid hormones (Worthman & Trang, 2018). Thus, real physical changes are observed during adolescence in both genders.
Social and Ethnic Factors Influencing the Expression of Gender Characteristics
The manifestation of gender characteristics in adolescents is largely determined by accompanying social factors. The nature of interaction with peers, trust in the family, communication with adults at school and outside the home, and other aspects shape the expression of gender characteristics in adolescents (Van der Graaff et al., 2018). As Van der Graaff et al. (2018) state, at this age stage, gender stereotypes develop, which, depending on the adolescent’s exposure to pressure, can affect psychological development and conduct. The authors also mention parenting as an important aspect to consider because “girls are socialized to show nurturance and caring, whereas boys are socialized to inhibit these kinds of prosocial behavior” (Van der Graaff et al., 2018, p. 1087). Ethnic factors also play a crucial role and influence adolescents’ identity and conduct. According to Benner et al. (2018), racial discrimination and racially motivated psychological bullying are risk factors for the normal psychological development of teenagers. If adults ignore these problems, a teenager can grow up to be self-contained and insecure. Therefore, the growing environment is an essential criterion to consider when assessing the characteristics of adolescence.
Case Study
An example of changes in adolescents during puberty is the case of M., a 14-year-old male high-school student. M. is a child of Mexican immigrants and has lived in the United States since birth. His mother turned to a psychologist with a request to conduct therapy sessions with her son because recently, family members had begun to notice frequent mood swings in M. In addition, the mother found cigarettes on M., which also became a cause for her concern. During the first session, the boy behaved defiantly and was not ready to contact a psychologist, expressing dissatisfaction with the decision of his relatives to offer him treatment. However, in the second and third interviews, he behaved more relaxed and talked about how his classmates bullied him due to his Hispanic origin. He said he was acquainted with other Latino children who had been attracted to the law previously and tended to exhibit deviant behavior. According to the specialist’s decision, the boy needed regular visits to a psychologist to get rid of the anxiety caused by disagreements with his peers and establish productive communication with his loved ones.
Conclusion
The developmental features of adolescents are a wide research field since several critical changes occur in the teenager’s body both externally and internally at the hormonal and behavioral levels. In addition to active growth and enhanced perceptions of sexuality, adolescents shape important social bonds through interactions with peers and adults, which largely determines how well they are socialized. Against the background of different changes, various deviations can appear, which, nevertheless, are natural for most teenagers during puberty. The above case study shows a common situation when a teenager demonstrates aggression and remoteness from loved ones due to the negative influence of the social environment. The task of adults, in this case, is to provide adequate assistance and participation so as not to aggravate the situation and strengthen the boy’s or girl’s fragile psyche.
References
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