University of the People
Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Advanced Teaching
EDUC 5420-01 Adolescent Development-AY2022-3
Unit 2 Written Assignment
Introduction
Adolescence is a period of fast physical development, sexual maturation, the emergence of
new desires and motives, and a broad range of social and emotional changes. According to
this review's thesis, these teenage changes are part of a larger societal re-orientation. Social
surroundings influence adolescent behavior and mood, we suggest. Distinguishing direct
puberty effects on behavior from more complete teenage changes is also essential. The effects
of delayed or early puberty. The gender dysphoria and other factors that affect our students
and the need for the teacher to be aware of them.
Take-away message or educational implication for each of the four articles provided in the
Reading Assignment:
1. Puberty Suppression in Adolescents With Gender Identity Disorder: A
Prospective Follow-Up Study
For children aged between 12 to 16, gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa)
are utilized to inhibit puberty. This intervention aims to alleviate the pain caused by the
development of secondary sex characteristics and give people enough time to make an
informed choice about gender reassignment. Suppression, behavioral and emotional issues,
and depressive symptoms diminished during puberty(de Vries et al., 2011). At the same time,
overall functioning improved dramatically. Adolescents who are diagnosed with a gender
identity disorder (GID) should be eligible for puberty suppression at the gender identity
clinic. Puberty suppression is intended to avoid the emotional issues that many young
transsexuals suffer once puberty begins.
If a teenager pursues gender reassignment (GR), delaying the development of secondary sex
traits provides a lifetime benefit of a convincing physical appearance corresponding with the
preferred gender role. The irrevocable step of GR surgery is not done before the age of legal
adulthood, which is 18 years old. Adolescents with gender dysphoria (GID) should have
reached Tanner stage 2–3, as determined by pubertal hormone levels, and have experienced
part of their biological puberty (Garg, 2021).
Teachers and anyone who has direct contact with students should be informed about gender
nonconformity and GD. Sensitivity training may have a profoundly favorable influence on
individuals' therapeutic experiences. Parents and adolescents often express discrimination or,
at the very least, discomfort and are occasionally required to educate school staff about their
or the child's gender identity. This article has helped me to learn a lot about gender identity. I
must prepare myself and my pupils to be aware of these phenomena to prevent difficulties or
problems caused by ignorance.
In the United States, there has been speculation about a possible advance in puberty timing.
Early pubertal development and a higher prevalence of sexual precocity in children moving
for international adoption have been observed. None of these variables clearly explain the
early start of puberty seen in the United States. Refeeding and catch-up development in
previously impoverished migrating youngsters may promote maturity. Puberty timing may be
an early indicator of the influences of genetics and environment, which are often mixed.
(Parent et al., 2003)
This phenomenon does not have a single, easy explanation. Several links have been
discovered between intrauterine growth, sex differentiation, pubertal timing, fertility, fat
accumulation, insulin sensitivity, and cancer risk(Haggard, 2012). Such correlations might be
influenced by genetic and environmental variables shared by some of those manifestations.
Inequalities in socio-economic level or life situations may explain significant disparities in
puberty timing within and across developing nations. In recent Israeli research, IUGR girls'
mean menarcheal age was shown to be 1.3 years younger than girls with birth weight
acceptable for gestational age (Parent et al., 2003). It has made me realize the role of the
teacher goes beyond regular teaching, and we have to be good listeners; we cannot just sort
shrug away from our responsibility. Students should be encouraged to communicate with
their parents and school counselors about any problems and participate in regular physical
and social activities; I would refer students experiencing puberty issues to the counsellor.
Early female maturation has been linked to increased adolescent psychopathology. Using a
longitudinal study of young adults seen most recently at age 24, we tested whether the timing
is associated with current and previous episodes of disorders. The Oregon Adolescent
Depression Project (OADP) is a long-term, longitudinal, epidemiological study of
psychopathology. The study discusses recent studies investigating links between pubertal
timing, i.e., going through puberty at the same time or later than one's peers, and clinical and
subclinical psychopathology among adolescents. Previous studies have identified links
between pubertal timing and lifetime history of the disorder, current disorder, and current
psychosocial functioning in young men and women(Graber et al., 2010). The investigation
examines whether these effects are limited to adolescence or new associations emerge in
young adulthood.
The study highlights new research linking pubertal timing (puberty at the same time or later
than peers) to clinical and subclinical psychopathology in adolescents. Early female
maturation has been linked to increased adolescent psychopathology(Graber et al., 2010).This
research will help me understand my students' mental states and comprehend and be gentle
with them. This research has taught me to be more cautious with my words and actions
before the students since I know that what I say or do will have a lasting influence on their
lives.
The timing of interactions between steroid hormones and the adolescent brain affects how
each person will act in adulthood and how likely they are to have sex-biased
psychopathologies. Steroid hormones work on the neural system during a sensitive early
development program (organize) behavioral responses to steroid hormones. It is now
recognised that, in addition to the well-known perinatal period of steroid-dependent
organization of neural circuits, adolescence is another period of change(Sisk & Zehr, 2005).
Adolescence is a critical period for sexual differentiation of the brain and behavior. Gonadal
hormones organize numerous neural circuits and behaviors during this period. The expression
of male reproductive behavior lags behind the initial rise in testosterone secretion by
approximately ten days. This suggests that a window of opportunity for the organization is
closed, or at least partially shut, by the end of adolescent brain development, even if gonadal
hormones have not been encountered during puberty. Early puberty is a risk factor for various
human psychopathologies, including eating disorders and depression. During puberty,
physiological changes may significantly modify neural circuits or influence an adolescent's
social life experiences and the brain's emotional and behavioral development(Sisk & Zehr,
2005). The timing of pubertal hormone-brain interactions increases psychopathology risk.
Evidence suggests that girls who have gone through menarche and the early stages of puberty
are more likely to exhibit disordered behaviors such as bulimia and nervosa. This idea is
backed by studies that reveal that non-shared environmental variables explain all variations in
disordered eating symptoms in prepubertal twins. Pubertal elevations in neuroendocrine
activity may be linked to the pubertal development of depression.(Sisk & Zehr, 2005).
Hormones become elevated during puberty and have a long-lasting effect on the brain
structure and function.
Questions include whether adolescence is a sensitive or essential phase for steroid-dependent
brain structure due to the potential for hormones to influence the brain's ability to change
permanently. As teachers, we should understand that adolescence is undoubtedly essential for
behavioral development and that the teenage brain is demonstrably more malleable in
response to damage than the adult brain. Behaviors such as sensation-seeking and social
dominance are influenced by puberty. Rising social demand and social re-orientation
throughout adolescence help comprehend pubertal impacts on behavior.
To conclude, most teachers and research studies conducted agree that what happens inside the
school is more significant than how the grades are organized. The school interaction and
environment matter more than grades. We should work with the school counselors to discuss
strategies to assist pupils in adjusting. Hormones may fluctuate, but young adolescents from
diverse backgrounds and personalities absorb tremendous amounts of information. A solid
curriculum might also help them. As early adolescents gain cognitive skills, they may finish
lengthier tasks and examine topics more deeply.
Reference
de Vries , A. L. C., Steensma, T. D., Doreleijers, T. A. H., & Cohen-Kettenis, P. T. (2011).
Puberty suppression in adolescents with gender identity disorder: A prospective followup study. The journal of sexual medicine. Https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20646177/
Garg, G. (2021, July 20). Gender dysphoria. StatPearls [Internet].
Https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532313/
Graber, J. . A., Seeley, J. R. R., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Lewinsohn, P. M. (2010, January 4). Is
pubertal timing associated with psychopathology in young adulthood? Journal of the
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890856709613216
Haggard, M. T. (2012). Helping kids deal with delayed puberty . IG Living .
Https://www.igliving.com/magazine/articles/
Parent, A. S., Teilmann, G., Juul, A., Skakkebaek, N. E., Toppari, J., & Bourguignon, J. P.
(2003). The timing of normal puberty and the age limits of sexual precocity: Variations
around the world, secular trends, and changes after migration. Endocrine reviews.
Https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14570750/
Sisk, C. L., & Zehr, J. L. (2005, November 23). Pubertal hormones organize the adolescent
brain and behavior. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology.
Https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/