Socioemotional Development in Adolescence Chapter 10 Socioemotional Development in Adolescence

Identity Identity is a self-portrait composed of many pieces, including: vocational/career identity political identity religious identity relationship identity achievement; intellectual identity sexual identity cultural/ethnic identity interests personality physical identity

Identity Self-understanding Self-esteem Self-concept Possible selves False self

Erikson’s View Erik Erikson first understood the centrality of identity for adolescent development Psychosocial moratorium Erikson’s 5th stage: identity versus identity confusion Crisis -- the exploratory period of identity development Commitment -- personal investment in identity

Marcia’s Four Statuses of Identity Identity diffusion individuals have not yet experienced a crisis or made any commitments undecided and uninterested in occupational and ideological choices Identity foreclosure have made a commitment but not experienced a crisis parents hand down commitments to their adolescents before they have had a chance to explore different options on their own

Marcia’s Four Statuses of Identity Identity moratorium individuals in the midst of a crisis but whose commitments are either absent or are only vaguely defined Identity achievement individuals who have undergone a crisis and made a commitment

Ongoing Search Resolution of the identity issue during adolescence does not mean that identity will be stable through the remainder of life Questions about identity come up throughout life These cycles may be repeated throughout life

Ethnic Identity Ethnic identity -- enduring aspect of the self that includes a sense of membership in an ethnic group, along with the attitudes and feelings related to that membership Bicultural identity -- adolescents identify in some ways with their ethnic group and in other ways with the majority culture

Ethnic Identity in Immigrant Groups First-generation immigrants are likely to be secure in their identities and unlikely to change much they may or may not develop a new identity Second-generation immigrants are more likely to think of themselves as “American” possibly because citizenship is granted at birth ethnic identity is likely to be linked to retention of their ethnic language and social networks

Autonomy and Attachment Adolescent’s push for autonomy and responsibility puzzles and angers many parents As the adolescent pushes for autonomy, the wise adult relinquishes control where the adolescent can make reasonable decisions, but continues to guide the adolescent Boys are given more independence than girls Secure attachment may be important in adolescents’ relationships with their parents

Parent-Adolescent Conflict Much of the conflict involves the everyday events of family life (e.g., keeping a bedroom clean, dressing neatly, getting home by a certain time, use of the phone) The conflicts rarely involve major dilemmas such as drugs or delinquency Conflict with parents often escalates during early adolescence, remains somewhat stable during the high school years, and then lessens as adolescence ends Example: Generation gap

Old and New Models Old model -- as adolescents mature they detach themselves from parents and move into a world of autonomy apart from parents parent-adolescent conflict is intense and stressful throughout adolescence New model emphasizes parents as important attachment figures and support systems in most families, parent-adolescent conflict is moderate rather than severe everyday negotiations and minor disputes not only are normal but serve a positive function

Friendships Sullivan discussed the importance of adolescent friendships Friends are important in shaping the development of children and adolescents Everyone has basic social needs, friends help meet social needs Teenagers are motivated to seek out close friends Foreshadows the quality of romantic relationships in adulthood

Peer Groups Standards of peer groups and the influence of crowds and cliques become increasingly important during adolescence Peer pressure -- conformity to peer standards Cliques -- small groups ranging from 2 to about 12; members are usually same sex and about the same age; develop an in-group identity Crowds -- larger and less personal groups; membership based on reputation; and they may or may not spend much time together

Dating and Romantic Relationships Dating can be a form of recreation, a source of status, a setting for learning about close relationships, and a way of finding a mate Three stages of romantic relationships Entering into romantic attractions and affiliations at about age 11 to 13 Exploring romantic relationships at approximately age 14 to 16 Consolidating dyadic romantic bonds at about 17 to 19

Dating in Gay and Lesbian Youth Many sexual minority youth date other-sex peers, which can help them clarify their sexual orientation disguise it from others

Sociocultural Contexts and Dating Influence may be seen in differences in dating patterns among ethnic groups Values, religious beliefs, and traditions often dictate the age at which dating begins how much freedom in dating is allowed whether dates must be chaperoned by adults or parents the roles of males and females in dating

Dating and Adjustment There is a link between dating and romantic relationships with measures of adjustment Those who date are more likely to have Higher levels of social acceptance Higher levels of friendship and romantic competence Early dating and “going with” someone is associated with adolescent pregnancy and problems at home and school

Traditions and Changes in Adolescence Around the Globe Fewer adolescents around the world die from infectious diseases and malnutrition now than in the past The experiences of male and female adolescents continue to be quite different Some adolescents grow up in closely knit families with extensive extended kin networks that retain a traditional way of life Some cultures give peers a stronger role in adolescence

Rites of Passage   Rite of passage -- ceremony or ritual that marks an individual’s transition from one status to another gain access to sacred adult practices, to knowledge, and to sexuality often involve some form of ritual death and rebirth, or by means of contact with the spiritual world (Kottak, 2009)

Do we have rites of passage for American adolescents? We do not have universal formal ceremonies to mark passage from adolescence to adulthood Certain religions do (e.g., Jewish bar and bat mitzvah, the Catholic confirmation) School graduation ceremonies come the closest Social organizations may have ceremonies like initiations or debuts

Immigration Relatively high rates of immigration contribute to the growth of ethnic minorities in the United States Immigrants often experience stressors such as language barriers, separations from support networks, changes in SES status, the dual struggle to preserve identity and to acculturate

Immigrant Family Issues Many come from collectivist cultures in which family obligation is strong For adolescents, this obligation may mean assisting parents in their occupations and/or contributing to the family’s welfare The long hours immigrant youth work in such jobs can be detrimental to their academic achievement

Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status Not all ethnic minority families are poor Economic advantage does not entirely enable minorities to escape prejudice, discrimination, and bias However, poverty contributes to the stressful life experiences of many ethnic minority adolescents

The Media There has been a dramatic increase in media multitasking Television viewing and video-game playing peak in early adolescence and then begin to decline Older adolescents spend more time listening to music and using the computer Increased Internet use Cyberbullying Sex crimes

Juvenile Delinquency Juvenile delinquent -- label applied to an adolescent who breaks the law or engages in behavior that is considered illegal Incidence Prevalence Adolescence-limited offender Life-course-persistent offender delinquency rates among minority groups and lower-socioeconomic-status youth are especially high These groups have less influence over the judicial decision-making process and may be judged more delinquent

Causes of Delinquency   Many causes have been proposed, including heredity, identity problems, community influences, and family experiences Adolescents with a negative identity may find support for their delinquent image among peers, reinforcing the negative identity norms of many lower-SES peer groups and gangs are antisocial

Causes of Delinquency   Parental monitoring is especially important in determining whether an adolescent becomes a delinquent Family discord and inconsistent and inappropriate discipline and sibling influences are also associated with delinquency Having delinquent peers greatly increases the risk of becoming delinquent

Depression Internalizing vs. Externalizing problems Adolescent girls consistently have higher rates of depression than adolescent boys females twice that of males Family factors place adolescents at risk for developing depression Poor peer relationships are associated with adolescent depression Problems in adolescent romantic relationships can also trigger depression, especially for girls

Suicide   Suicide behavior escalates in adolescence and then increases further in emerging adulthood Suicide is the third-leading cause of death in ages 10 to19 Although a suicide threat should always be taken seriously, far more adolescents contemplate or attempt it unsuccessfully than actually commit it Suicidal ideation Parasuicide

Gender Differences in Suicide Females were more likely to attempt Males were more likely to succeed in committing suicide Males use more lethal means, such as guns Females are more likely to cut their wrists or take an overdose of sleeping pills Suicidal adolescents often have depressive symptoms

Four problems that affect the most adolescents The Interrelation of Problems and Successful Prevention/Intervention Programs Four problems that affect the most adolescents drug abuse juvenile delinquency sexual problems school-related problems Those who have more than one of these problems are more at risk

Successful Programs Programs that have been successful in preventing or reducing adolescent problems found these common components Intensive individualized attention Community-wide multi-agency collaborative approaches Early identification and intervention