Chapter 4
While growing
Introduction
Dear student friends, now you are learning in ninth standard and all of
you fall in the age group of 10 to 19 years. This age group is called
adolescence. All of you must be experiencing lot of changes in your
body and mind. These changes may be very confusing for you and
trying to adjust with them with the best of your ability. The horizon of
your life, your thinking, emotions and experiences is widening and you
may be struggling to cope up with these changes in your physical,
psychological, emotional and social spears of life. In this chapter we will
be discussing in detail about those changes and the ways to deal with
them effectively which will help you to grow in to healthy, balanced and
responsible adults and empower you to face the challenges of life
ahead effectively
Adolescence is often described as a phase of life that begins in biology
and ends in society.
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human
development generally occurring roughly between ages of 10 to 19
years of life. The end of teenage and the onset of puberty herald the
beginning of adolescence and are characterized by turmoil of physical
and psychological changes. This period is very confusing for the child.
He is neither small for some jobs nor big enough for some other jobs. If
the child demands to ride a scooter himself, he is told that he is too
small for it. If the child wishes to sleep in mother’s lap, he is rebuked
that he is too big for it. The child does not understand if he is small or
big and gets confused about his or her role in family and society.
Adolescence is marked as a period of growth spurt and maturation. The
extent of physical growth is not only determined by genetic factors
alone but also on availability of adequate nutrition, micronutrients in
the diet and access to health services. Extra nutritional requirement
include adequate intake of calcium, iron, iodine, minerals and proteins.
Unmet nutritional needs lead to several health problems such as
stunted and retarded growth , impaired mental development , anemia
complications during pregnancy and low birth weight babies.
Adolescents are poorly informed about physical health, their bodies
and sexuality. The ignorance gets accentuated by lack of proper sex and
health education. The reluctance among adults to impart relevant
information due to embarrassment is a matter of concern. Children
often get information about bodily changes from their friends which is
usually wrong.
Postponement of early marriage among adolescent girls and
information on anatomy and physiology of reproduction and
contraception are the urgent needs which can be fulfilled by teachers
with whom students stay for a long period of day.
4.11
Physical changes during adolescence
The main change during this period is the onset of puberty. It is
characterized by rapid physical growth and the development of
secondary sexual characteristics. Puberty usually starts at the ages of
10 or 11 in girls and at 12 or 13 for boys. The age of onset of puberty
may vary from child to child and is influenced by heredity, diet and
exercise.
1. Pituitary gland
2. Thyroid gland
3. Thymus
4. Adrenal glands
5. Pancreas
6. Ovaries
7. Testes
Puberty begins with a surge in hormone production which in turn
causes a number of physical changes. This is triggered by the pituitary
gland which secrets a surge of hormonal agents into the blood stream,
initiating a chain reaction. The male and female gonads are activated
and start producing sex hormones in mass quantity. The testes in boys
primarily release testosterone which is a male hormone and the ovaries
in girls predominantly release estrogen, which is a female hormone.
The production of these hormones increases gradually until sexual
maturation is complete.( Some boys may develop a little enlarged
breast due to imbalance of sex hormones or obesity.)
In boys the voice breaks, becomes deeper and Adam’s apple
becomes large. Growth of hair in armpit, body and pubic hair starts.
Boys start having nocturnal ejaculations or wet dreams. Many boys
develop “dhat syndrome”, which is a culturally acquired phenomenon.
It is found in Indian subcontinent and is because of a belief that semen
is a very vital fluid and its loss leads to weakness. These boys become
very anxious, depressed and develop sleep problems and guilt feelings.
They start loosing concentration in studies.
The Facial hair starts growing in a specific order. The first facial hair to
appear tends to grow at the corners of the upper lip typically between
14 to 16 years of age. It then spreads to form moustache over the
entire upper lip. This is followed by the appearance of hair on the upper
part of the cheek and the area under the lower lip, both the sides of
face to form a full beard. The facial hair is often present in late
adolescence around ages of 17 and 18 but may not appear until
significantly later. Facial hair will continue to get coarser, darker and
thicker for two to four years further.
At about 10 years of age, girls show a dramatic growth spurt and
increase in height and weight. Boys begin their growth spurt two years
later. Boys grow most rapidly during the thirteenth year when they may
grow as much as 4-6 inches in height. The body changes in almost every
area. The nose and mouth widen, the nose becomes longer and more
prominent, and the jaw puts out. The sweat glands, inoperative in
childhood, become active leading to secretions that cause body odor.
Skin complexion start changing and acne problems begin to appear.
Sever acne problems may distort the self image and lower the self
esteem.
The major landmark of puberty in
boys is the first ejaculation of semen
which occurs on average at
age of 13. Early maturing boys
are usually taller and stronger
than their friends. They have
the advantage in becoming
hand- picked for sports.
Pubescent boys often tend to
have a good body image, are
more confident, secure and
more independent. Late
maturing boys can be less confident because of poor body image when
comparing themselves to already developed friends and peers.
However, early puberty is not always positive for boys; early sexual
maturation in boys can be accompanied by increased aggressiveness
due to the surge of hormones that affect them, because the fact that
their cognitive and social development may lag behind their
appearance. Early maturing boys are more likely to participate in risky
behaviors. Boys usually complete puberty by ages 16-18. Any increase
in height beyond the post pubertal age is uncommon. The muscles
continue to get stronger naturally even after post pubertal age.
( In girls, puberty is heralded by the development of breast, more
curved and prominent hips.) The major
landmark of puberty in girls is menarche
that is the onset of menstruation which
occurs on average between ages of 12
and 13. The onset of menarche is
influenced by heredity. Diet and life style
may contribute as well. A girl must have
certain proportion of body fat to attain
menarche. Girls who have a high fat diet
and who are not physically active begin menstruating earlier than girls
whose diet contains less fat and whose activities involve fat reducing
exercises like games and gymnastics. Girls who experience malnutrition
or belong to societies in which children are expected to perform
physical labor also begin menarche at later ages. By the age of
seventeen they will be young men and women who may be bigger than
their parents and. In spite of this, they often still need support from
parents and teachers.
Boys and girls and their parents may worry less if they remember that
there is a lot of difference in the ages at which these changes occur.
Growth and development use a lot of energy, and this may be why
adolescents often seem to need so much sleep. Their getting- up late
may be irritating. But it may well not be just laziness.
4.12
Psychological changes
Along with growing taller, starting to shave or having periods,
adolescents start to think and feel differently. They make close
relationships outside the family, with friends of their age. Relationships
within the family also change; Parents become less important in their
children’s eyes as their life outside the family develops.
Real disagreements emerge for the first time as young people develop
views of their own that are often not shared by their parents and
teachers. Adolescents spend a lot of time in each others company or on
the telephone to each other. Although this can be irritating to parents,
it is an important way of becoming more independent. These
friendships are a part of learning how to get on with other people and
gaining a sense of identity that is distinct from that of the family. Cloths
and appearance are a way of expressing solidarity with friends,
although adolescents are still more likely to get their values from the
family.
Parents often feel rejected, and in sense, they are. But this is often
necessary for young people to develop their own identity. In spite of
lots of arguments and differences children often think a lot about their
parents, but this is very necessary if they have to become independent
and have their life.
Young people want to try out new things, but often recognize that they
have little experience and fall back on parents and other adults when
things get difficult. This may produce rapid changes in self-confidence
and behavior- feeling very adult one minute, very young and
inexperienced the next.
Being upset, feeling ill or lacking confidence can feel them vulnerable.
They may show this with sulky behavior rather than obvious distress.
Parents and teachers have to be very flexible with all these changes and
may feel under considerable strain themselves.
Young people can crave excitement in a way that most adults find
difficult to understand. Exciting activities may be dangerous.
Fortunately most adolescents manage to find their excitement in music,
sports or other activities that involve a lot of energy but little real
physical risk.
When they experiment with drink, drugs or smoking, it is usually with
friends. If a young person does this alone, he or she may be in a greater
danger.
Although the most obvious changes of adolescence are physical,
significant changes also take place in the way they think. With
adolescence, children acquire the ability to think abstractly. They
engage in hypothetical reasoning, imaging all kinds of possibilities in a
given situation. They also begin to approach problems more
systematically and logically rather than relying on trial and error
strategies. The marked cognitive changes around the age of 12 make
them think deductively. With their increased ability to think logically
and abstractly, teen agers often detect what they consider to be logical
inconsistencies in other peoples thinking and they may be impatient
with the thought process and decision of others. Adolescents may also
question their own judgments and the result is often confusion.
.
Refusal to go to school can be due to difficulties in separating from
parents or too much expectation from oneself leading to depression.
Disturbed family life due to various reasons is an important reason for
school refusal, playing truant or poor academic performance. Such
students often have physical symptoms, such as head ache or stomach
ache.
Pressure to do well and to pass exams may come from parents or
teachers. Most adolescents usually want to do well and will push
themselves due to self motivation or peer pressure. Excessive nagging
by parents or teachers can be counter productive. Exams are important
but they should not be allowed to dominate life or to cause
unhappiness.
Bullying is also an important cause of problems at school. Short children
are more likely to be bullied. School authorities should handle problem
of bullying openly.
Obesity is increasing in Indian students. If an adolescent is overweight
and is criticized or made fun of, he is more likely to dislike himself and
to become depressed. This can lead to inactivity and comfort eating
which worsens the problem. The importance of regular exercise and
balanced diet can be emphasized by occasional visit of a dietician.
Drug and alcohol abuse is more common in boys coming from disturbed
families. Adolescent children are exploring life, but need a base to
come back to. Home should be some where they feel safe to come back
to, where they will be protected, cared for and taken seriously. Adults
like parents and teachers need to be a source of advice, sympathy and
comfort. Student needs to know that his parents or teacher will not
automatically jump down their throat with a judgment, a criticism or
routine advice. Listening to the students come first. Corporal or physical
punishment has become a thing of past. But still it is being used by
some parents and teachers. It creates the impression that violence is an
acceptable way to solve problems and children are likely to grow up to
use violence as adults.
Adolescence is also a time when children begin to ponder and debate
such complex issues as social justice, the meaning of life, the validity of
religious values and rituals. They explore all kinds of “what if”
possibilities. They may feel compelled to contribute to ending human
misery, poverty, social injustice and war. As adolescents grow older,
much of their idealism is replaced with a more pragmatic or practical
view. In addition to the physical, cognitive and moral development of
adolescence, there are also significant social and behavioral changes.
During this period, relationships with parents may be under stress. The
peer group may become of paramount importance in influencing
behavior. Perhaps the most important task an adolescent faces to
answer the question “who am I?” To answer this question children start
assuming many roles whose nature may change even on day to day
basis leading to unpredictability of their behavior. By experimenting
with different roles, many adolescents eventually form a functional and
comfortable sense of self. The rapid social changes in today’s society
have greatly complicated the task of achieving a sense of identity. Not
only the traditional gender role but also values associated with religion,
marriage and patriotism are being challenged. As a result, today’s
adolescents continue to struggle with their identity crisis well into their
college years.
An important part of establishing an identity is gaining independence
from parents. However relationships between parents and their
adolescent children do not necessarily take a bad shape. Most children
and parents resolve their conflicts with a minimum of fire work.
When conflicts increase, family tension often rises. Culturally defined
adult behaviors such as driving, drinking, and smoking are sometimes
used by adolescents as symbol of maturity or as a form of rebellious
behavior, reasoning that they are not children any more. However this
is a period when they need more support and help from adults still
more than before. But rather than from adults, adolescents like to take
help typically from their peers who are in the same boat. Adolescent
friendships are much closer and more intense than at any period of life.
They share intimate information with each other than with adults. The
peer group maintains different standards, life styles, dress up, haircut
and behaviors different than adults. But adolescents otherwise are
much influenced by their parents than their peers as far as issues like
politics, religion, morality and major decisions such as carrier choices.
It may not be out of place here to say that many parents and
adolescents are confused about the carriers of children due to the vast
number of carrier choices available today; it will be prudent to take the
help of aptitude test and carrier counselor wherever it is possible. As a
matter of fact this facility should be made available in every school or
taluka place.
It is impossible to explore the psychological development of
adolescents without taking notice of the changes that take place in
their sexual behavior.
The big questions faced by adolescents
Who am I?
Do people like me?
Do I measure up?
Am I normal?
Is my body alright?
Am I attractive?
Am I smart?
Am I strong?
What do people say about me?
What am I doing in my life?
Who can I trust?
What lasts?
Where I want to be?
Am I and will I be like my parents?
Am I in control?
Am I too dependent on money?
Am I being true to myself?
Can I be happy?
Can I do what I really want to do?
Will I like my work?
Can I do good work?
4.13 Emotional
problems
Transformation of a child into an
adolescent is usually a smooth
process. Most of the adolescents
do not face any problems while growing. But 10-20% experience severe
emotional disturbance or dramatic disruption in family relationships
and self – concepts.
Over-eating, excessive sleepiness and a persistent over concern with
appearance may be signs of emotional distress. Anxiety may produce
phobias and panic attacks. Emotional disorders are often not
recognized by family, friends and teachers.
A significant number of adolescents may feel so miserable that they cry
and want to get away from everyone and everything. Many adolescents
have a low self esteem and feel that life is not worth living. In spite of
these powerful feelings, depression may not be obvious to other
people. The increasing number of suicide is a cause of concern. An open
discussion on this subject with vulnerable students is worth while.
The dramatic physical changes of adolescence can be very worrying to
some students, especially to those who are shy and don’t like to ask
questions.
The heterosexual and homosexual activities may be undertaken due to
strong sexual feelings. Those who start having physical relationship at
early age are at greater risk of early pregnancy and health problems.
Sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome) and HPV( Human Papilloma Virus ) infection are the real
dangers of disinhibited sexual activities. Both the diseases are caused
by viruses of different types. Unfortunately no vaccine for prevention
of AIDS is available as on today. HPV infection which may be
responsible for the development of cancer of cervix that is the mouth
of uterus in women, is preventable by vaccination in adolescent girls.
Sensitive support, clear guidance and accurate information about
different aspects of sex are essential from parents, schools and family
doctors.
Adolescents who are close to their parents are less likely to indulge in
hazardous sexual activities.
Adolescents can get confidential advice on various sexual issues from
family doctors or school counselor or a trained teacher who do not
have to inform to their parents.
4.2 Defining peer pressurePeer pressure refers to the
influence exerted by a peer
group of same age people in
encouraging a person to change
his or her attitudes, values or
behavior in order to conform to
group norms. A person affected
by peer pressure may or may
not want to belong to these
groups. Peer pressure is quiet
high in schools where students
spend a large amount of time in fixed groups. Some students may lack
the maturity to handle pressure from friends. Students tend to behave
negatively towards those who are not members of their own peer
groups. Peer pressure can also have positive effect. for example if one
is involved with a group of students who are ambitious and working to
succeed, an average student might feel pressured to follow suit to
avoid feeling excluded from the group. That is why a proverb, “a man is
known by the company he keeps.” seems to be true.
Peers influence your life even if you do not realize it. You learn from
them and they learn from you. It is only human nature to listen to and
to learn from other people of your age group.
Peer can have a positive influence on each other. May be another
student in your class taught you an easy way to remember the planets
in solar system, or someone in cricket team taught you a cool trick of
spin bowling. You might admire a friend who is always a good sport and
try to be like him or her.
Some times peers influence each other in negative ways. For example a
few students in your school might persuade you to bunk mathematics
class for some another fun with them. For your cricket team friend
might try to convince you to be mean to another player for malafied
intentions or a friend in the neighborhood might want to shoplift with
you.
Some students give in to peer pressure because they
want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that
other students might make fun of them if they do not
go along with the group. Others go along because
they are curious to try something new that others are
doing. The idea that “everyone is doing it” can influence some students
to leave their better judgment.
Why do students give in to peer pressure? How to deal with peer
pressure?
It is tough to be only one who says ‘no’ to negative peer pressure, but
you can do it. Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about
what is right and wrong can help you to know the right thing to do.
Inner strength and self confidence can help you to the right thing to do.
Inner strength and self confidence can help you to stand firm and resist
doing something you know is wrong. It can really help to have at least
one other friend who is willing to say ‘no’ too. This takes a lot of the
power out of peer pressure and makes it easier to resist. You probably
have a parent or teacher advice you to choose your friends wisely.
Even if you are faced with peer pressure while you are alone, there are
still things you can do. You can simply stay away from the group who
pressurize you to do the thing you know is wrong. You can tell them a
firm “no” and walk away. Next time they will dare not involve you in
wrong things. Find better friends.
If you continue to face peer pressure and you are finding it difficult to
handle, talk to someone you trust. Do not feel guilty if you have made a
mistake or two. Talking to a parent, teacher or school counselor can
help you feel much better and prepare you for next time you face peer
pressure.
4.3 Family bonds
Tolstoy said, “All happy families are
happy in one way and all unhappy
families are unhappy in their own
way”, that is to say, the happiness of family depends upon bonds.
A family is a group of people related to each other by blood and love.
The main functions of family are the socialization of children. A nuclear
family is one where father, mother and their children stay together.
Extended family also called joint family consists of other relatives like
grand parents, uncles and aunts and their children.
Building family bonds requires work and effort to make it successful.
Parenting is a tough job and maintaining close relationships and open
communication helps to ensure parents and their children stay
connected through all ages of their upbringing. The parents and
children should express openly that they love each other
unconditionally. Parents should tell children about their faiths and
beliefs. The child should be allowed to ask questions and parents
should answer them
honestly. A special bed
time ritual likes story
telling or prayers will be
remembered for a long
period of time.
The children should be
evolved in day to day
house hold works as per
the capacity of the
child. This will increase the sense of
belonging. Parents should play with their
children singing joking together. The type of
play is not important. Eating together sets the stage for conversation
and sharing.
4.32 Relationships with siblings
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is
called a brother, and a female sibling is called a sister. Siblings
usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their
childhood socializing with one another. This genetic and physical
closeness is marked by the development of strong emotional
bonds such as love or hostility. The emotional bond between
siblings is often complicated and is influenced by factors such as
parental treatment, birth order, and personality of the child and
personal experiences outside the family.
Firstborns or the eldest children are usually conservative and high
achieving. They are more socially dominant, less agreeable and
less open to new ideas. Middle children are natural mediators
,
and the youngest children are charming and outgoing.
The arrival of a new baby in the family is often stressful for the
firstborns and for the siblings between 3 and 5 years, and they
develop sibling rivalry. They fear that the parental love and
attention will be largely shared by the new born child and behave
with it with a sense of animosity. It is a type of competition
among brothers and sisters. It is more intense when children are
very close in age and of the same gender, leading to aggressive
behavior towards each other. Although they love each other
sibling rivalry often continues throughout childhood and is at the
peak between the age group of 10 to 15 years. It can be very
frustrating and stressful to parents. Each child in a family
competes to define who they are as persons and want to show
that they are separate from their siblings. Although most parents
spread love and other materialistic resources equally among all
children in the family, but a child wants most of the love and
resources for him or herself. Sibling rivalry often continues in
adulthood and can change dramatically for the better over the
years.
With the increasing norm of one or two children in a family, this
problem is decreasing as compared to the past years wherein
families used to be quite large.
Sibling relationships include helping, sharing, and teaching,
fighting, playing and doing constructive activities together.
Intense positive and negative emotions are often expressed by
siblings towards each other. Many adolescents have mixed
feelings towards their siblings. Siblings typically know each other
very well, and this intimacy suggests that they can either provide
support or tease and undermine each other, depending upon the
situation. In many situations siblings understand each other’s
problems and dilemmas better than the parents can.
To summarize, we now know that growing is a very complex and
tender process. The foundations of future adult life are laid during
adolescence. To lay healthy foundations, not only the child’s but
the role of adults who come in contact with the child is of
paramount importance. Let us play our roles with responsibility.
Exercises
1. What are the various factors responsible for the healthy
growth and development during adolescence?
2. What are the positive psychological changes during
adolescence?
3. What are the negative emotional changes during adolescence?
4. Write a short note on family.
5. What are the bad and good effects of friends?
6. “A man is known by the company he keeps”; discuss the
proverb.
7. Fill in the blanks
A) The process of adolescence starts in…………. and ends
in………… .
B) Adolescence starts at the age of ……years and ends at the
age of……. .
C) Adolescence is a……………. phase of physical and
psychological development.
D) A lot of ………… is needed for the growth and development
during adolescence
E) While growing the dreamy idealism of adolescents is
gradually replaced by………… and …………. . view.
8.
Wright or wrong
A) Due to psychological restlessness the behavior of
adolescents becomes unpredictable
B) The behavior of teachers and parents towards children
should be very strict.
C) The undue pressure from parents and teachers leads to
unhealthy competition in children.
D) Peer pressure may push a vulnerable child towards suicide.
E) Teachers and parents should not be a guiding source for
adolescents.
F) Your education does not enable you to change superstitions
in society.
G) The physical changes in your body make you uncomfortable.
H) Peer pressure is always bad.
I) You can get correct information about physical changes
during adolescence from your friends.
9.)
What do you think? / What is your opinion? / What will you do?
A) Your parents want you to be a doctor, but you like fine arts
How will you convince your parents to allow to choose
career of your choice?
B) Due to money shortage you are not able to pursue your
C) How will you adjust with the financial problems of your
parents?
D) What are the reasons for not liking your school?
E) Your parents may not like your extracurricular activities. How
will you convince them about the importance of hobbies?
F) What will you do to reduce the tension at home?
I) Do you feel jealous about your brother or sister and why?
J) How do you manage your stress?
References:
1.Kaplan & Sadock’s comprehensive textbook of psychiatry
Seventh edition 2000
Editors
Benjamin Sadock
Virginia Sadock
2. Developmental Psychology
Author : Elizabeth Hurlock
5th Edition
Dr Avinash D Joshi
M.B.B.S; M. D. (Psychiatry)
001, Sankalp sahanivas,
Khare Town, Dharampeth,
Nagpur
9423677685