2. Session objectives
• To understand the adolescence stage of
human growth and development
• To identify and account for adolescent
behavior.
• To identify and account for risky behavior that
adolescents engage in.
• To identify and discuss the adolescents’ likes
and dislikes.
3. Guiding questions
• What is adolescence and who is an
adolescent?
• How do adolescents behave and why?
• What risky behaviors do adolescents
engage in and why?
• What do adolescents like and dislike?
6. What is adolescence?
• Adolescence is one of the stages of human of human growth.
Ideally, a human being grows through Infancy: birth to 1 year,
Early childhood: 1-6 years, Late childhood: 6-12 years,
Adolescence: 12-20 years, Early adulthood: 20-40 years,
Middle adulthood: 40-65 years, Late adulthood: 65 years and
up.
• However, The World Health Organization (WHO) defines
adolescents (or teenagers) as people in the age range of 1019. Young people aged 10-14 years are defined as being in
their early adolescence, and those aged 15-19 in their late
adolescence.
(WHO Coming of age: from facts to action for adolescent sexual and
reproductive health. Geneva, World Health Organization 1997 (document
WHO/FRH/ADH/97.1)
7. Continuation…
• The Uganda National Adolescent Health
Policy uses the same definitions. In this
programme, the term adolescents is
used in the same way: it refers to the age
group of the 10-19-year olds.
• Adolescence is the transitional stage
from childhood to adulthood.
8. Changes in adolescence
• What changes do human beings go through
during adolescence?
1.…………………………………………………………………
2.…………………………………………………………………
3.………………………………………………………………….
4.………………………………………………………………….
5.………………………………………………………………….
6.…………………………………………………………………..
7.…………………………………………………………………..
9. Changes in adolescence
• Like all in the other stages of growth and
development, during this period the person goes
through Mental, Emotional, Physical and Social
changes
• However, the physical and psychological changes
that occur in adolescence can start earlier,
during the preteen or "tween" years (ages 9-12).
10. Mental (mind development)
• Most foundations have been set.
• Development primarily involves an
increase
in
knowledge
and
sharpening of skills.
• Learn to make decisions and accept
responsibility for actions
11. Emotional (feelings)
• Emotional development is often stormy and in conflict.
• Adolescents try to establish their identities and
independence.
• They respond more and more to peer group influences
• Their emotions can be very unpredictable and it may be
hard to know what makes them happy and what annoys
them.
• They are prone to mood swings, especially the girls, and
are very impulsive.
• Sympathy for the opposite sex.
12. Physical (body growth)
• Growth spurts, muscle coordination slows. Development of
sexual organs and secondary sexual characteristics
(puberty). Secretion of sex hormones leads to the onset of
menstruation in girls and the production of sperm and
semen in boys. Body shape and form changes.
• Pubic hair in both
• Beards in boys
• Voices deepen in boys and the girls’ become softer
• The sweat glands secret more sweat.
• Pimples start to be visible in many.
• Hips and breasts become bigger in girls
• Chests become broader in boys
13. Social
(interactions and relationships with others)
• Spending less time with family and more time with peer
groups.
• They attempt to develop self-identity and independence
and seek security from their peers.
• Toward the end of this stage they develop a more
mature attitude and develop patterns of behavior that
they associate with adult behavior.
• Need
for
reassurance,
support
and
understanding.
• Social networking is common today.
• Challenges that develop in this stage can be
traced to conflict and feelings of inadequacy and
15. Note…
• These changes occur in both males and females.
• Each have their own unique changes though
some are traceable in both males and females.
Eg: pubic hairs, warm feelings for the opposite
sex…
• However, the physical and psychological
changes that occur in adolescence can start
earlier, during the preteen or "tween" years
(ages 9-12).
16. How do adolescents behave and why?
What is behavior?
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
17. How do adolescents behave and why?
What is behavior?
Behavior is the way in which a
person acts or conducts himself
and responds especially towards
others.
19. How do adolescents behave and why?
Behavior
Reason for behavior
• They challenge authority
•They feel they are old enough and do not
need authority.
•Desire for independence.
• They are conscious of themselves
•They are aware of their own presence and
want to be in position to attract attention.
• They hate being called adolescents or being
told that they have grown
•They are still establishing who they are and
this can be quite challenging.
•They are under identity crisis.
• The become very emotional (especially the
girls)
•The hormonal imbalance mainly.
•Seeking attention
•Wanting to get what they want.
•They seek attention most of the time and it
hurts when they feel they have not been
noticed.
•They want their beauty and importance to
be noticed and felt.
20. How do adolescents behave and why?
Behavior
Reason for behavior
• They are very impulsive
•Because of the hormones mainly. They are
not yet used to certain things. They hate being
called and treated as old but they also don’t
want to be taken as young.
•They are covetous and will admire many of
the things they feel are good. At this stage
they are fond of borrowing clothes from
friends.
•They now feel it is time to have the ‘good’
things that other people have.
•They like to be in company of the opposite
sex
•They feel it is time to start boy-girl
relationships. They like to be praised and to
praise the opposite sex.
•They take chances
•They act before thinking.
•……………………………………………………………….
•…………………………………………………………………..
•………………………………………………………………….
•……………………………………………………………………
21. In their own view…
We talked to some adolescents and this is what
they said
22. What risky behavior do adolescents engage in?
• What is a risk?
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
23. A risk…
• A situation involving exposure to danger, such as
injury, loss, death...
32. Why do adolescents engage in such behavior?
1. Peer pressure
2. ……………………………………………….
3. ……………………………………………….
4. ……………………………………………….
5. ……………………………………………….
6. ……………………………………………….
7. ……………………………………………….
8. ……………………………………………….
9. ……………………………………………….
10. ……………………………………………….
33. Why do adolescents engage in such behavior?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Peer pressure
Belief in myths
Desire to experiment
Feeling of maturity and independence
Trying to relieve stress or anxiety
Escape from emotional or psychological problems
Desire to be unique
Lack of information on risks involved in certain
behavior
35. What do adolescents like and dislike?
We talked to some adolescents and this is what
they said
36. What do adolescents like and dislike?
• They like fashion and they pay attention to what they wear. In
school, they make their uniforms smaller to fit or shorter, for the
girls.
• They like to be heard and show that they are responsible beings
• They like dream a lot (see what they would like to be)
• They like criticize a lot (both their age mates and those outside their
age brackets)
• They like to live in gangs for identity.
• they like to speak American English and their own language or slang
and jargon
• They like independence and freedom to do what they want.
42. What do adolescents dislike?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
They dislike any kinds of embarrassment.
They dislike punishment and retribution.
They dislike authority.
They hate being treated like children.
They dislike being home all the time.
They dislike company of elders.
They dislike fellow adolescents who manage to get more
attention than them.
• They may dislike the things that other adolescents like for
the sake of being unique.
43. Now that we know what adolescents like and
dislike, we as peer educators how should we
pass on information to them?
45. `
Hallo my lover Mayiko, since that day we lefted each other at
the maize garden of your family, I am
missing you very much in the night I cannot sleep even small,
am also work very much in school to go to university like you
so that you are not defeat me alot in clever.
please never leaf me deer because if you left me I can drink
medicene an die or enter a river, when you come bring me a
cake and pafume so I know you love me or I know you are
playing for me. let me not write many because words are
grass but let me tell you many boys are wanting me but am
not like them I
want you alone. goodbye my lover from your future wife
Joanita
