Dorinda Vigil, Margaret Wiedner, Lauren Madrid, Chandreyee Johnson

Exploring our perspectives of how being a teenager felt on three major levels.

Lauren  Height differences ◦ Awkwardness with self and peers  Build ◦ Athletic ability  Continuing body fitness ◦ Addicted to working out

Dorinda  Popular ◦ Made friends easily  Social Influences (?) ◦ Drug use  Participated in peer activities ◦ Cheerleader

Margaret  Self-Esteem ◦ Polymyositis  Felt belittled by peers(?) ◦ Bullied  Low body image ◦ Insecure about weight

The highlighted changes we experienced, how we felt, and how those relate to the facts.

LAUREN  Height ◦ Still continued to grow past my peers  Build FACTS  Adolescent females and self-criticism  Physical Changes ◦ Hair growth, voice change, growth spurts, breast development, sex gland development, skin changes, brain and hormone development, menstruation  Depression ◦ Typical vs. atypical

DORINDA  Self-Reliance ◦ Emotional and economic independence  Social butterfly ◦ Continued to flawlessly fit in with peers  Decision Making ◦ Balancing peers, work, school, and family  Accepting Criticism FACTS ◦ Identity establishment ◦ Social roles  Knowing where they belong ◦ Self-Esteem ◦ Inner Strength ◦ Peer Relationships ◦ Parental independence, expansion of social life

MARGARET  Isolation from peers  Insecurities about weight FACTS  Sensitive to criticism  Depression  Changes in brain  Hormones

Perspectives on gender differences and the facts of those differences

FEMALES  Brain development ◦ Less  Sexual Activity ◦ Emotional MALES  Brain development ◦ More  Sexual Activity ◦ Physical

FEMALES  Eating Disorders ◦ Anorexia, Bulimia, Overeating MALES  Gangs ◦ Violence

FEMALES  Emotional  Moral MALES Dominant Justice/logical

AGREEMENTS  Adolescent females are aggressive  Internal pressure to be liked socially  Hormones and developmental progress potentially cause self-esteem issues DISAGREEMENT  Social lives

Being a teenager is no easy task. Males and females alike battle a range of issues from self-esteem, establishing independence, developing relationships with peers, and preparation for transitioning into adulthood. With proper guidance, skills, and patience adolescents can successfully make the transition into adulthood smoothly.

 Zastrow, Charles. H., & Kirst-Ashman, Karen. (2010). Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment (8th Edition). Cengage Learning.  De Bellis, M. D., Keshavan, M. S., Beers, S. R., Hall, J., Frustaci, K., Masalehdan, A., Knoll, J., Boring, A. M. (2001). Sex Differences in Brain Maturation During Childhood and Adolescence. OXFORD JOURNALS, 11(6),. doi: /cercor/  Social Development during the teen years. (2009). Retrieved from info/ages-stages/adolescence/hic-Social-Development-During- the-Teen-Years info/ages-stages/adolescence/hic-Social-Development-During- the-Teen-Years  Kelly, S. (2010). The Psychological Consequences to Adolescents of Exposure to Gang Violence in the Community: An Integrated Review of the Literature. JOURNAL of CHILD and ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC NURSING, 23(2),. doi: /j x