1. Social Development In Teenagers
What’s happening?

2. What Is Social Development?
As children become teenagers they begin to undergo many changes. Changes to their image, how they present themselves, their friendship groups, relationship to parents and more.
Teenagers experiment with
their identity

3. Childhood to Adolescence to Adulthood
Teenagers are in a transitional period in their life where they are trying to learn the skills to lead a productive adult life while still holding onto the childish ways of their youth
Teenagers can come into problems with this conflict which include peer pressure , self esteem, drugs and alcohol, and conflicting with loved ones

4. Erik Erikson
Describes the childhood stage as a time where children gain confidence and self esteem and want to learn as much as they can and please and do right by their teachers, parents etc
As children move into adolescents they develop his or her own identity, while negotiating and struggling with social interactions and “fitting in”, and developing a sense of morality and right from wrong.
Erikson describes the adolescent stage as a time where the teenager goes through what he refers to as the identity crisis
this identity crisis stems from the reconciliation of what the person has come to be and what society expects them to be(Harder, 2002)

5. The Teenager
As the teenager comes into this stage there is much more self awareness then ever before
The teen focuses more so then ever before on themselves, how they look and act, as well as heavily focusing on how other perceive them and judge them
As well as this self focus , teen’s develop abstract thinking skills and visualise future possibilities in a way previously unable too
This new awareness leads to critical awareness as teenagers accept and reject behaviours and qualities while trying to define themselves

6. Acceptance and the Opposite
As teens become aware of others opinions and self aware themselves they crave acceptance from peers
Erikson describes teenagers most significant relationships as being with these peer groups
If they do not receive acceptance it can be very damaging to their self esteem

7. Self Esteem
Self esteem is very important to all people and a lack of self esteem can be damaging, leading to depression and in extreme cases suicide
The development of a positive self image and a healthy self esteem is very important in transitioning from child to adult
It important to maintain healthy relationships with peers and families to increase and maintain self esteem
Teens self esteem can be easily affected from many of the changes they begin to experience

8. Parents, Teenagers, and Self Esteem
Parents can play an important part in raising their children’s self esteem
Parents can assist by:
Giving your child words of encouragement each day.
Being generous with praise.
Giving constructive criticism, and avoid criticism that takes the form of ridicule or shame.
Teaching your child about decision-making and make it a point to recognize when he or she has made a good decision.
Helping your child learn to focus on his or her strengths by pointing out all of his or her talents and abilities.
Allowing your teen to make mistakes. Overprotection or making decisions for teens can be perceived as a lack of faith in their abilities. This can make them feel less confident.
When disciplining your child, replace shame and punishment with positive reinforcement for good behaviour. Shame and punishment can make an adolescent feel worthless and inadequate.

9. Peers, Groups, and Pressures
Peers groups offer teenagers the opportunity to develop many social skills
Peer groups can have both positive and negative influences on the individual
Peer pressures can be harmful to teenagers as drug and alcohol experimentation become more common
Peer pressures peak at age 14, and decline therefore after

10. Parents and Peer Pressure
As children grow and spend more time with their peers they become more influenced by their peers
Parents can minimize the harm of negative peer pressures by:
Developing a close relationship with your child, and encourage open and honest communication
Helping your child understand what peer pressure is
Reinforce the values that are important to you and your family
Nurture your teen's own abilities and self-esteem so that he or she is not as susceptible to the influences of others
Give your teen breathing room. Don't expect him or her to do exactly as you say all of the time
Try to avoid telling your child what to do; instead, listen closely and you may discover more about the issues influencing your child's behaviour
Provide discipline (Emmick,2009)

11. General Things You Might Notice In Your Teenager
Parents/caregivers may notice that teens will want to spend a lot more time with their peers rather than their family
Teens may start to express their identities through their hair, make up, style, music they listen to, friends and hobbies
Teens testing their independence levels
Moodiness
A much higher care for other’s opinions about themselves (American Medical Association,2001)

12. What to do?
When differences arise listen to your child and try and understand their point of view
Give guidance and set clear boundaries
If your teen is having trouble or seems
unhappy, talk to them and find out what is
going on
Choose your battles, such as grades and drugs but arguing over hairstyles can become pointless
Give teens the chance to make more decisions and take more responsibilities as they prove themselves(American Medical Association,2001)