Adolescent Paper: Experiences and Theories

Adolescent Paper: Experiences and Theories

Mark Shemansky
Human Behavior in the Social Environment
Professor Bunte, MSW, LMSW
November 18, 2015

Adolescent Paper: Experiences and Theories

Introduction:
Adolescence is a period of growth in a persons life. Generally it begins at the age
of 10 -12 years old and ends at 21 -22 years old. Those who research adolescence typically break
it down into three periods. Those periods are early, middle, and late adolescence. Early
adolescence ranges from 10-13 and places great emphasis on peer approval (Ashford & Lecroy,
2013). The middle is considered the high school years and the ages range from 14- 16 years old.
The middle focuses on image and the journey of self-discovery (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). The
late stages of adolescence is focused on two developmental tasks. The first task is independence
from the family (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). The second task focuses on personal identity
(Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). The late stages of adolescence ranges from the ages of 17-22 years
old (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). The following is a reflective look back at my adolescence. I will
discuss significant life events that I experienced during that time in my life. I will examine the
effect those significant events had on me at the time and how they may currently affect me.
Furthermore, I will discuss sexuality, drugs, peer pressure, body image, family dynamics and
issues of diversity in regards to my adolescence. Each of those topics played a formidable role in
my development and some had a profound effect on my upbringing. Also, I will integrate three
developmental theories that were at play during my adolescence.
Significant Life Events:
Sadly, some of the most significant life events during my adolescence was deaths in my
family. The deaths began in my middle child hood with my Grandpa Ken in 1991, he was 63.
However, many more deaths happened during my adolescence. In 1992, I was in my early
adolescent at the age of 10. That year my Grandpa Art passed away, he was only 56 years of age.
In 1994, my Grandma Agnes (Aggie) passed away at the age of 73. In 1996, at the age of 14, it

Adolescent Paper: Experiences and Theories

was more of the same. My uncle Duane passed away at the age of 36, he was diagnosed HIV
positive in 1994, eventually dying of the AIDS virus. Although, my adolescence wasnt all dim
and grim. I was very involved in sports, I played football, basketball and baseball for recreational
leagues and school. Football was my favorite, but I was best at baseball. I earned multiple
championship trophies and played in three all-star games. At 15, I was invited to try out for a
traveling baseball team, which was considered ultra-competitive and very time consuming.
Another significant life event during my adolescence was my first girlfriend. I was 14 years old
and started dating Stephanie. She lived in my neighborhood and I knew her for a few years
before we started our relationship. The significant events in my life at that time all happened
from the early to middle stages of adolescence. I will further discuss those events and the effect
that they have had and still have on me in the following sections.
Effect of Life Events:
Obviously dealing with death in early and middle adolescence will have a long lasting
effect. There is no book on how to handle death and everybody deals with it and mourns in their
own ways. I believe the loss of so many close relatives at a young age has caused some
relationship commitment issues. Subconsciously, I believe I tend to not commit to people
because I started to believe that everyone I got close to or was important to me at a young age
died. Hindsight of course is 20/20, reflecting back it is easy to see now. As I transferred from
adolescence to adulthood, I have not had a dating relationship last longer than two years. After
studying human behavior, albeit for only a couple semesters in my life, I believe subconsciously
I find ways out of relationships that get to serious. I think it is a defense mechanism because I
believe the relationship will end anyways, so in order to save myself the pain of loss, I find a
way to terminate the relationship. Having a gay uncle was an experience that I learned from and

Adolescent Paper: Experiences and Theories

will last a life time. I learned that just because he was gay or considered different by society
doesnt make him any less of a person. He was my uncle, the fact that he was gay and lived a
different lifestyle than the norm, it never changed my opinion about him. He was always there
for my family and was close to my mom. When my parents would travel together on a business
trip for my dad or just pleasure, he would always be the one to watch over my brothers and me. I
never viewed him as different and it was always fun to be around him. It taught be not to be
judgmental or prejudice against people who are viewed as being different. I also learned at an
early age not to use the words faggot or gay as derogatory terms. To this day, I hate hearing
the ignorance that is spewed when people use those words to show displeasure or hatred for
something. The most intense experience of it all was watching him die of AIDS. I have never
seen so much suffering and pain endured. Some family members avoided him at all cost, while
my immediate family was there to help out and take care of him the best of our abilities. I think
that experience is a part of why I am becoming a social worker, so I can be an advocate for those
who dont have a voice and cannot fight for themselves. I also learned quite a bit about sexuality,
which I will discuss in the next section.
Sexuality:
Like most adolescent kids, I learned about hetero-sexuality in a sex education class and
from my parents. However, it was in my adolescence that I also learned about homosexuality as
well. My uncle was gay and lived with his partner, at a young age I never really understood it.
For many of years, I just thought my uncle lived with his best friend and that they were
roommates. I didnt really understand what gay was at the time. I never picked up on the fact that
there was only one bed and everything was shared. At 12 years old, when I was capable of
understanding, my mom and aunt sat me down and explained to me that my uncle was gay and

Adolescent Paper: Experiences and Theories

that he has been diagnosed as HIV positive. At such a young age, I was only capable of concrete
thinking and operations. I didnt have the cognitive ability to be capable of abstract thought.
Knowing what I know now, after studying Piagets theory of cognitive development, I wasnt
capable of abstract thought or logical reasoning. Piagets last intellectual stage is formal
operations (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). Formal operations happens during the adolescent stage of
cognitive development around the age of 11 or 12 years old (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). At this
stage of development, the adolescent is capable of abstract thought (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013).
Before reaching this state of development, a child could only use concrete thinking and
operations (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). One stage of formal operations is assimilation.
Assimilation is when the adolescent merges new information into existing knowledge (Ashford
& Lecroy, 2013). This stage is labeled by a focus on the ideal, with unlimited possibilities
(Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). I think this closely relates to my understanding of my uncles
situation. When I was younger, I could only concretely think about the situation. I only thought
he was living with his buddy as roommates and couldnt logically come to the conclusion that he
was homosexual. I didnt have the knowledge of what it meant to be a homosexual. I wasnt able
to put it together until I had that new knowledge and consolidated it with the existing knowledge
of them living together and only having one bed.
Drugs:
Drugs and alcohol have always been a problem for my family, like much of society. My
experiences with drugs and alcohol began in the middle stages of adolescence and continued into
the late stages and beyond. At 16 years old, I tried marijuana and became an occasional smoker.
A year later, I had my first experience with alcohol. I didnt see it as a problem, I was just
partying with friends and having a good time. I knew about some of the consequences of

Adolescent Paper: Experiences and Theories

drinking, but never thought of it in terms of development. I was more worried about getting
caught or punished for drinking. It never was an addiction, but I definitely was a binge drinker.
Spending weekends up north with friends or partying on Friday and Saturday nights. Admittedly,
I drank to the point of vomiting or blacking out to many times before I was 21. I drank more
times at that point than I even realized. Again, hindsight is 20/20 and I was just having fun. I
rarely drink at this point in my life and never to the point of vomiting or blacking out. I also
experimented with other drug use in my adolescence. Looking back I wish I never would have
used any of them, but back then I was having fun and partying with friends. From the ages 18
to 20 years old, I tried ecstasy, acid (LSD), mushrooms and even nitrous oxide balloons. I am
definitely not proud to admit that and only used them once or twice. I can admit, I never thought
about the dangers, it never crossed my mind. My friends and others around me were using them
as well. We honestly thought we were just have a great time being young and dumb. I honestly
never felt a direct pressure from my peers and it was never forced on me to use any of those
substances, I made those choices. However, reflecting on it now, there was definitely an indirect
pressure. Furthermore, I believe that the social learning theory was definitely at play.
Peer Pressure:
Albert Bandura was a cognitive behaviorists that came up with the social learning theory.
Bandura attempts to understand people as conscious, thinking beings who can have an influence
on their environment (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). He believed that people can actively influence
how the environment controls them (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). Basically, he thought that
observation lead to learning. Observational learning occurs when people observe role models and
learn new behavior as a result of those observations (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). According to the
social learning theory, models are critical in the development of personality because of the

Adolescent Paper: Experiences and Theories

principle of observational learning (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). In my experiences with drugs and
alcohol, my friends were my role models. Through my observation of my friends, I learned that
drinking and smoking were an acceptable behavior and it was considered fun. Although, I felt
there was no direct pressure from any of them. There was a pressure to fit in with my
surroundings and do what I perceived as being cool. I obviously never knew about the social
learning theory at that point and time, but I can see now how it was at play. I am absolutely not
blaming others for my behaviors. I made those choices, no one made me do anything I thought
was unacceptable. However, I truly believe now that those choices were made based on my
observations and the indirect pressure.
Body Image:
Body image has always been an issue for me. Some of the body image issues plague me
to this day. From about the age of 13, I have always been a heavier person. Basically, I thought I
was fat and therefore an ugly person. This had an extreme effect on my self-confidence. I was
always good at sports and a pretty smart individual. The problem was I never was confident in
my abilities and definitely not a vocal person. My esteem issues led to social anxiety problems
from middle adolescence to this day. Although, I am confident in myself and my abilities now, I
still get some social anxiety in unfamiliar places. My body image caused years of depression.
However, at the time, I never thought I was depressed. I basically thought that just was the way I
should feel. My depression was an ongoing until my mid- 20s. My parents were always
supportive and very encouraging about my ability and image. They never made me feel that way.
I just assumed they were my parents and were supposed to be encouraging and tell me I look
good. After studying Erik Eriksons psychosocial theory, it may have been an issue of identity
versus identity confusion. Ericksons psychosocial theory has eight stages of human development

Adolescent Paper: Experiences and Theories

from infancy to old age (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). The stages are patterned sequences
encompassing appropriate physical, emotional, and cognitive tasks that the individual must
master in the struggle to adjust to the demands of the social environment (Ashford & Lecroy,
2013). The adolescence stage Erikson characterized as identity versus identity confusion
(Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). During this stage children begin to explore their independence and a
sense of self. Those who receive proper encouragement and reinforcement through personal
exploration will emerge from this stage with a strong sense of self and a feeling of independence
and control (Cherry, 2015). Those who remain unsure of their beliefs and desires will feel
insecure and confused about themselves and the future (Cherry, 2015). Completing this stage
successfully leads to fidelity, which Erikson described as an ability to live by society's standards
and expectations (Cherry, 2015). Although, I received proper encouragement and positive
reinforcement from my parents, I still had a negative body image and low self-esteem. The
negative image and esteem issues was my identity confusion. The social anxiety and depression
issues was my inability to live by societys standards and expectations, resulting from the
identity confusion. To that extent, Eriksons theory rings true, at least in my experience.
Family Dynamics:
My family dynamics were always good, especially in my adolescence. We were always a
close, tight knit family. I had the type of parents that encouraged my brothers and me to openly
talk to them and express ourselves. Although, I didnt always express myself and the way I
thought to them. We did everything together at that point in life. We spent our winters skiing out
west, going to places like Colorado, California, Utah, Montana, and even Canada. We spent our
summers on our boat. The only reason we came home was to take care of the landscape and do
our laundry. My parents also encouraged hugging and telling us how much they loved and cared

Adolescent Paper: Experiences and Theories

for us. And they did everything in their power to show us their love. I never felt one brother got
more than the other, they did a great job making sure that things were fair across the board. At
16, my brothers and I all got new cars, provided we were working and kept up on our studies.
Education was encouraged, although I must admit I struggled greatly through my high school
years. Today, even though our family has critically changed due to tragedy, the dynamics are still
the same. We remain close and continue to cherish the moments we have with each other.
Issues of Diversity:
I grew up in an upper middle class area. My junior high and high schools didnt have
much diversity. In fact, I believe there was only two African American families in my school. I
definitely didnt get a great sense of a diverse culture at school. However, I would spend time
with my cousins in Arkansas every summer, from early adolescence to late adolescence. They
lived in the town of Hughes. It was a small farming community with approximately 1,300
residents. It was equally divided between African Americans and Caucasians. The first couple
summers it was definitely a culture shock. I literally felt like I was going back to the early
1900s. The Caucasians lived on one side of the town and the African Americans lived on the
other side. The main road in town divided the two sections. Both sides even had their own stores.
The elder members of my Arkansas family were clearly racists and held no punches when talking
about it. I was blown away to say the least. I was young and remember the first thing they said to
me, when are walking through town, dont go left, that is nigger town. Please forgive my use
of the word. I was so shocked, I was like 12 years old and they had no issue using that term or
talking in a derogatory manner in front of me. They are my family and I truly do love them, I just
couldnt believe what I was hearing. Those issues didnt exist where I grew up. I mean I learned
about racism and had my own thoughts on the way people should be treated, but never would

Adolescent Paper: Experiences and Theories

10
have expected that. That summer taught me a lot about diversity and really hammered home the
way African Americans have been treated throughout our history.
Conclusion:
My adolescence was a wonderful time in life. Especially looking back, I enjoyed it more
than I ever thought. It definitely had a fair share of ups and downs. Probably a lot more positive
things and was blessed with a great family. While studying human behavior, I have learned so
much more about myself than I ever imagined possible. I lived through depression and image
problems. Looking back now, I had absolutely no reason to be depressed. Life was easy for me
and I was privileged to grow up in my area. However, at the time I never viewed things that way.
As I have said, hindsight is 20/20. There are many of times, I would give up everything to go
back and enjoy those simple times. My family was happy, healthy and was living it up with each
other. Although, there was a lot of death in my family at that time, I learned more than I ever
thought from my life experiences. Adolescence is an amazing time in life and shouldnt be taken
for granted.

Adolescent Paper: Experiences and Theories

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References
Ashford, J. B., & Lecroy, C. W. (2013). Human Behavior in the Social Environment.
Belmont: Cengage Learning . Retrieved November 15, 2015
Cherry, K. (2015). Stages of Psychosocial Development. Retrieved November 15,
2015, from About Education :
http://psychology.about.com/od/psychosocialtheories/a/psychosocial_2.htm