Adolescent Development Aim: In what ways are adolescents physically and psychologically different than both children and adults? Do Now: How old are we when our brains stop developing? What are some of the sterotypes about teenagers, from the viewpoint of adults? Which of these do you think are true? Not true? This will be a brief presentation on adolescent development. The focus will be on examining key developmental challenges along with some recent research findings and behavior trends. The purpose of this presentation is to remind us who the young people are we are talking about. What distinguishes them from children and adults? What are the main challenges and influences? The goal is to give us a common framework for discussing positive youth development which focuses on the social infrastructure young people need to thrive.

Adolescents are: Age: 10-19 40.7 million in the United States What are some cultural “Rites of Passage” that signify a child has become an adolescent, or young adult (think culturally in the U.S.)? There is no consensus about the age range that defines adolescence. A fairly common one is young people ages 10-19. I am using this one just because the 2000 census used this categorization. According to that 2000 census there are approximately 40.7 million adolescents in the US. The exact number is 40.747.962

Adolescence Characteristics: Adolescent egocentrism: Imaginary audience – everyone is watching Personal fable – belief that s/he is unique Pseudostupidity – use of oversimplified logic Social development: Time of drifting or breaking away from family (Why?)

Emotional development: G. Stanley Hall – time of “Storm and Stress” Areas of problems Parent-child conflicts Mood changes - self-conscious, awkward, lonely

Cognitive Development Think abstractly Analyze situations logically To think realistically about the future, goal setting Moral reasoning Entertain hypothetical situations, use of metaphors Cognitive processes and skills continue to grow over the years (10-19). Increasingly adolescents fine tune their abilities (review the abilities listed). And progress from concrete to more abstract skill levels. Recent research in adolescent brain development has demonstrated that the brain is still developing. Neural connections are still being formed until the mid 20’s. It confirms what parents probably have known all along -- adolescents do not process and think the same way adults do.

Risk-Taking Discussion: What are some specific risk-taking behaviors of teens? WHY do you think teens disproportionately engage in these actions? Why do MALE teens engage more (in general) then teen FEMALES? We think of the thrill of risk as a bad thing – in what ways can the qualities of teens be a good thing?

Aim: For what reasons do adolescents have a high incidence of eating disorders? Do Now: How would you define an eating disorder (in general) At what point does dieting and being conscious of weight become an eating disorder (in your opinion)?

“Thin” – Full Documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL3FeQU4HjU

Discussion Questions: Why do people develop eating disorders? Why are eating disorders so much more prevalent among females than males (10X) Why are these even more prevalent in adolescent girls? Why are they more prevalent in certain cultures/ethnicities/races? How do you think you can treat a person with an eating disorder?

Model Retouch Website: http://demo.fb.se/e/girlpower/retouch/retouch/

DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria for Body Dysmorphic Disorder Preoccupation with an imagined or slight defect in appearance (skin, hair, weight, nose, etc.) Causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Difference between ‘ideal’ self and ‘real’ self The first part of the diagnostic criteria. Both the nature of the defect, as well as the degree of distress is somewhat ambiguous. It is considered a somatoform disorder, although it is most often compared to obsessive-compulsive disorder, an anxiety disorder.

Western culture tends to place more emphasis on a thin body image in comparison to other cultures.

Obesity: A disorder characterized by being excessively overweight. Obesity increases the risk for health issues like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and back problems.

Dieting: 63% of women feel that body weight determines their mood. Americans spend 33 billion dollars on dieting and diet-related products The average female starts dieting at age 9yrs

Risk Factors for Eating Disorders: Ethnic and socioeconomic status Cultural influence Low self-esteem/perfectionism Difficulties with communication, separation and conflict resolution w/ family Anxiety or depressive disorder Family history A drive to excel in sports Early puberty Winter Identical Twins

Bulimia-Nervosa: Minimum of 2 binge-eating episodes weekly for 3 months/recurrent binge eating A feeling of lack of control over binge-eating behavior Regular use of self-induced vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, strict dieting, fasting, or vigorous exercise to prevent weight gain

Anorexia-Nervosa: Refusal or inability to maintain body weight over a minimum normal weight Intense fear of gaining weight despite being underweight Disturbance in perception of body shape Absence of 3 consecutive menstrual cycles

Common Male Groups with Eating Disorders:

Taboo: Eating Disorder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJPrhJty7TM