Recreation, Leisure, & the Life Course: Adolescents HPR 200 Spring 2011

Quiz Name the four stages of childhood development. Provide recreation related details regarding one of the four stages. Name the four stages of childhood development. Infancy (birth to 18 months) Early childhood (toddlers, 18 months to 3 years) Preschoolers ( 3 to 5 years) Middle childhood (5 to 12) Provide recreation related details regarding one of the four stages Children at this stage need freedom and space to move. Crawling, rattles Gross motor development; colorful indoor areas, parallel play Gender differnces aere

Characteristics Why? Transitions 10-20 Ask why we talk about different age groups and recreation? Physical and psychological transitions; emotional growth Starts at puberty; again, numbers are not hard and fast

Positive Attributes Energetic Idealistic Curious Perceptive Courageous Independent Fair Reliable Flexible Honest Loyal Humor Optimistic Serious Sensitive Ask what they notice about these attributes They are definitely generalizations and we can all think of times when adolescents do not demonstrate these

Younger Adolescents 12-16 Puberty Self-image Relationships Identity Begins with onset of puberty (the period of life at which the ability to reproduce begins) Sex characteristics emerge Discomfort with bodies; desire for acceptance; physically overactive and physically underactive Attraction to opposite sex; desire friendships and acceptance; conformity and acceptance Who am I? THIS IS WHERE LEISURE CAN REALLY COME IN Provide opportunities to successfully integrate personal and social identity Leisure activities serve as transition from childhood to adulthood Provide space for embedding identities Caution—leisure activities can promote negative stereotypes

Older Adolescents 17-20 Movement towards adulthood Closer emotional relationships Less concerned with others’ thoughts These characteristics are general!!! Many 17 year olds haven’t figured out who they are yet

At-Risk Youth

At-Risk Youth Risk Factors Severe parental discord Maternal mental illness Overcrowded housing Limited parenting skills Environment 1997- 1/5 of all juveniles lived below the poverty level 1997- 30% of juveniles lived in single parent home 1997- over half of black juveniles lived in a single parent home 1997- 5% of all babies were born to juvenile mothers (Teresa) 1997- 200,000 babies born to mothers 10-17 1997- 6% of the 200,000 were born to mothers 10-14 (12,000 babies) Albany State- 3150 Georgia Southern- 15000 Clark Atlanta- 4915 Juvenile violence peaks in the after school hours on school days and evenings on non school days Statistics come from the US Department of Justice Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report

Coping with risk factors Can cope with two Difficulties with three Increased risk factors increases likelihood of problems Stevens, P., & Griffin, J. (2001). Youth high-risk behaviors: Survey results. Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling, 22, 31-46. Main point is that increasing risk factors increases the likelihood of engaging in delinquent behaviors

Buffers Hook Link Shield Barrier from people and experience Increase resiliency Hook them into positive behaviors and experiences Create links to positive role models Shield and protect them by using the hooks and links Bottom line is that we want to increase the resiliency of the youth identified as at-risk

Resiliency Understanding factors which lead to success Confidence Hopeful Optimistic Personal control Support from others Not all youth who are at-risk engage in delinquent/deviant behaviors How can we as TRS’s increase these characteristics in at-risk youth??

Recreation for Adolescents Youth Development Programs Social Emotional Psychological Physical Activities Sports Fitness Outdoor adventures

Physical Abilities Noticeable growth spurts Increase in muscle mass Hormonal and bodily changes For some a preoccupation with physical appearance

Cognitive Abilities Cognition is more advanced Capacity to think of possibilities Not always rational

Sociometric characteristics Developing identity Active experimentation with numerous roles and identities of surrounding culture Healthy identity = flexible, adaptive Increasingly dependent on friends Dating/Sexual awakening

Programatic concerns Bring teens in on advisory boards. More social, physical, diverse offerings Adult-like; semi-autonomous