ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT FOR GIRLS Female Development Theory Rebecca Wigg-Ninham, M.S.W. Brown County Human Services Department

OUTLINE Psychosocial Development Sexuality Mental Health School

PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IDENTITY SELF-ESTEEM GENDER INTENSIFICATION FRIENDSHIP DATING

IDENTITY One of the most important tasks of adolescence is to develop a sense of identity. That is to decide who we are and what we want to make of our lives. Identity formation for girls can mean defining themselves in relation to others. This would mean a fusion of identity and intimacy.

IDENTITY Girls interplay between separateness (meeting their own needs) and connectedness (satisfying the needs of those one cares for) This may be different than boys who see themselves as separate and unique

IDENTITY The elements in the quest for identity are; career choice, personal competence and interrelationships Girls see interconnections between career goals and family goals Boy do not

IDENTITY Family Unit and extended kinship network is a key factor in identity formation for ethnic minority adolescent girls. Identity with family and community seems to provide strength and resources for adolescent girls of color as they integrate their ethnicity and their femaleness within a larger society that devalues both.

SELF-ESTEEM Definition – the sense of worth or value that people attach to themselves Perceived physical appearance is closely related to self-esteem for girls. This is not true for boys. Black girls are less concerned about body shape and size, and physical appearance is less important to their sense of self- worth.

SELF-ESTEEM In early adolescence self-esteem diminishes for both genders, with girls showing lower self-esteem than boys. The gap becomes greatest in late adolescence. Many more Black adolescent girls, 58% remain confident and positive than did White or Latino girls.

SELF-ESTEEM Compared to White girls, Black girls have more confidence in their personal attractiveness, femininity, popularity, and social relationships in late adolescence.

GENDER INTENSIFICAION Gender differences in value orientation become pronounced at the onset of adolescence. Physical and Cognitive changes make adolescents more aware of gender expectations and more concerned about what others think of them

FRIENDSHIPS Our closest friendships tend to be with people of our own gender. Starting early in adolescence girls report greater satisfaction with same gender relationships than do boys. They also report more positive friendship quality and closeness. Intimacy the sharing of thoughts and feelings with someone else is a key characteristic of adolescent relationships.

FRIENDSHIPS Girl’s relationships are more intimate than boys. They report more self-disclosure and emotional support, and they spend more time with their friends than boys do. Girl’s friendships emphasize self- disclosure and emotional support. Differences within gender may be more closely tied to socioeconomics than ethnicity.

DATING May begin as early as 12 or 13 for girls. Female victims of dating violence are more likely to have been pregnant, attempted suicide, shown disordered eating behavior, used cocaine and alcohol, have been abused as children, and exposed to family violence.

DATING Ethnic minorities, girls, students with disabilities lesbian, gay, and bisexual students are more likely to be sexually harassed.

SEXUALITY A recent nationwide survey of girls ages by the American Association of University Women found that sex and pregnancy are the number one issues facing teenage girls today. Girls as young as 12 report being pressured to have sex.

BODY IMAGE The weight gain associated with puberty occurs within a cultural context that emphasizes a female beauty ideal of extreme thinness. Girls are much more concerned with body weight and appearance than are males the same age.

BODY IMAGE The importance of body image to adolescent females is indicated by the association between teenage girls’ body image and their self-esteem. The more negative their body image is, the lower their self-esteem.

MENTAL HEALTH Girls are more likely than boys to first manifest psychological difficulties during adolescence. Higher rates of depression among females first appear in early adolescence and continue into adulthood. Girls report more symptoms of depression in response to stress than boys. Stresses causing depression in girls are relational

MENTAL HEALTH Depression is a much stronger predictor of delinquency for girls than boys Available research suggests that large numbers of girls in the Juvenile Justice System have serious mental health problems often associated with histories of sexual and/or physical abuse or neglect.

MENTAL HEALTH Research suggests that a majority of girls in the juvenile justice system meet the criteria for at least one mental disorder, and in some studies girls show higher prevalence rates than boys. Studies of psychiatric co-morbidity consistently report higher prevalence rates among girls in detention than comparable boys.

SCHOOL According to Failing at Fairness written in 1994, teachers pay far less attention to girls than boys. Boys are called on more often and given more time to answer questions. Boys are more likely to be praised, corrected, helped and criticized constructively.

SCHOOL Boys are rewarded for being smart, while girls are rewarded for being neat, pretty, and compliant. Generally, girls in Juvenile Court are not compliant and fare poorly in the schools in Brown County. There is one gender specific school program in Brown County and it serves teen age pregnant girls and mothers.

REFERENCES Etaugh, Claire A. & Bridges, Judith S. (2004) The Psychology of Women, A Lifespan Perspective Jordan, Judith V., Kaplan, Alexandra G., Miller, Jean Baker, Stiver, Irene P., Surry, Janet L. (1991) Women’s Growth In Connection, Writings from the Stone Center. National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, Research and Program Brief (July 2003) Bonita M. Veysey, Adolescent Girls with Mental Health Disorders Involved with the Juvenile Justice System