Question

Adolescence is that period of development beginning with the onset of puberty and lasting until the the early twenties. Yet, this distinct period of development is only clearly defined in developed, modern countries. Discuss the influences that make adolescence such a clearly defined period, and talk about what you think it would be like to develop through this period of the lifespan in a developing country, or at some point in history.

Answer 1

Adolescent is a period of transition determined by physical, psychological and cognitive changes. The age of onset for adolescent is generally accepted as 13, which is the beginning of puberty. During this a person is no longer viewed as a child but is not yet an independent, self-supporting adult. The end of adolescent is not necessarily determined by chronological age but more of a mental age when one is able to deal with life’s issues and meet societal standards of independence.

With the onset of puberty, one cannot ignore the physical changes that take place. Both primary and secondary sex characteristics changes such as enlargement of breasts in females and increase in height and body hair in males. The hips begin to enlarge and menstrual cycle begins among females. For males, the muscles become more defined and the voice begins to deepen.

The changes that occur during this phase are so rapid that it is important that one must develop   knowledge and skills to cope with the changes that come along. Unlike developed countries where there is easy access to basic healthcare and awareness, most of the developing countries are deprived of them. Let alone awareness, some cultures consider talking about menstruation or sex education as taboo. For girls, it is a mix of emotion and shame that she has to go through for bleeding monthly. Unhygienic measures may lead to infections or other health issues.

With the rapid population growth, young people who are poor are about as numerous today as they were in the past. At the same time, lengthening period of years spent unmarried and in many cases sexually active results in STI and STD and unwanted pregnancy. Poor learning outcomes in school among low income family leads to delinquency and substance abuse. All these factors can lead to a painful transition to adulthood and even shorter life expectancy. Whatever one goes through during this transition can affect a person psychologically thereafter. Therefore, adolescents go through innumerable health and social challenges than those living in developed countries.