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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. At-Risk Youth

8. At-Risk Youth Risk Factors
Severe parental discord
Maternal mental illness
Overcrowded housing
Limited parenting skills
Environment
/5 of all juveniles lived below the poverty level
% of juveniles lived in single parent home
1997- over half of black juveniles lived in a single parent home
% of all babies were born to juvenile mothers (Teresa)
,000 babies born to mothers 10-17
% of the 200,000 were born to mothers (12,000 babies)
Albany State- 3150
Georgia Southern
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

9. 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,
Main point is that increasing risk factors increases the likelihood of engaging in delinquent behaviors

10. 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

11. 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??

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

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

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

15. 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

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