Course Code: CORE8

Course Title: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Course Type: CORE
Pre-requisite: NONE
Co-requisite: NONE
Quarter: 1st
Course Topic: THE CHALLENGES OF MIDDLE AND LATE
ADOLESCENCE
Module: #4 Week: 4
Course Subtopic: Middle Adolescence Challenge
Late Adolescence Challenge
Adolescent As A Lovable And Capable Person
Course Description: This course makes senior high students aware of the
stage that they are in, for them to better understand
themselves and the significant people around them as
they make important career decisions as adolescents.
The course addresses a key concern in personal
development. Personal reflections, sharing and
lectures help reveal and articulate relevant concepts,
theories, and tools in different areas in psychology.

Course Outcomes (COs) and Relationship to Student Outcomes

Course Outcomes SO
After completing the course, the student must a b c d
be able to:
2. Make a list of ways to become responsible D I R
adolescents prepared for adult life and
manage the demands of teen years.
* Level: I- Introduced, R- Reinforced, D- Demonstrated

THE CHALLENGES OF MIDDLE AND LATE ADOLESCENCE

MIDDLE ADOLESCENCE CHALLENGE

According to U.S. Department of Health & Human Service, young people tend
to become more interested in dating around their mid-teens and become more
involved in dating relationships during high school . Although dating does
increase during this time, it is also normal for adolescents not to be in a
relationship. Nearly two-thirds of teens (ages 13-17) have not been in a dating
or romantic relationship. Thirty-five percent of teens (ages 13-17) have some
experience with romantic relationships, and 19 percent are currently in a
relationship. Older teens (ages 15-17) are more likely than younger teens to
have experience with romantic relationships.

Both male and female youth value intimacy, closeness, and emotional
investment in romantic relationships. These relationships can be accompanied
by extreme excitement and happiness, but also by disappointment and
sadness. However, some youth might go beyond the normal range of emotions
and may experience depression.

Another factor poses challenge to an adolescent is the Parent-child conflict

increases as children move into adolescence as cited by ACT for Youth Center
of Excellence (2002). Although this trend is not inevitable, it is common and
can be quite distressing for parents and adolescents. Both can feel baffled

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about what happened to the good old days of family harmony. Adolescents may
see their parents as having turned harsh, controlling, and irrational. Parents
may wonder why their formerly cooperative and responsible children now seem
hostile and destructive. These perspectives often feed on one another,
increasing misunderstanding on both sides. Many parents and adolescents
report a decrease in closeness during this time.

Family
As stated by Healthy Families (2014), Most young people and their families
have some ups and downs during these years, but things usually improve by
late adolescence as children become more mature. Family relationships tend to
stay strong right through. For teenagers, parents and families are a source of
care and emotional support. Families give teenagers practical, financial and
material help. And most teenagers still want to spend time with their families,
sharing ideas and having fun.

Young people may experience any number of significant losses in their lives, for
example, parental separation, loss of friends when there is a move or death of a
family member. There may also be less tangible but devastating losses, such as
the loss of innocence in the case of abuse, and loss of trust and safety in
relationships. Have grown up in difficult or abusive homes, may have
experienced many losses, including loss of their self-worth and confidence, loss
of the 'family' or 'parent' they may have hoped for, or loss of 'being taken care
of'.

Loss leads to grief reactions. People deal with grief in a variety of ways. Some
people react strongly at the time, others have feelings that surface over time.
Traumatic experiences will often involve loss. Young people often benefit from
being supported to identify and grieve their losses, so that they don't continue
to impact on current health and wellbeing.

Helping a young person to identify the family experiences that were

unsatisfactory and why their family did not have the capacity to help them at
the time can be a helpful place to start. You may be able to support the young
person to find other ways to meet their needs in relationships, for example, by
facilitating the involvement of other caring, reliable and committed adults who
may support them appropriately.

Substance Abuse
The following are the possible reasons for middle adolescents’ drug use and
alcohol use by A Better Today Recovery Services (2020),
1. Legality- Nicotine and Alcohol are legal and loosely regulated to prevent
addiction. An estimated 88,000 people die from Alcohol-related causes
annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in
the United States. Those who tend to abuse these substances use them
to self-medicate for anxiety, trauma and/or stress.
2. Prescribed Medication- Some people think that because their doctor
gives them a prescription, the medication they are taking is safe to
consume without consequences. Unfortunately, Opiate-based
prescriptions are extremely addictive and can act as a gateway to other
drugs, like Heroin. 30% of emergency room admissions from prescription
abuse involve Opiate-based substances.

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 3. Fitting in- Peer pressure causes people to do things they would not have
done to either impress their friends, or trying to feel valued. Receiving a
text message from a friend asking to come drink is difficult to say no to.
4. Depression- Many people who struggle with depression do not get proper
treatment or diagnosis for this problem. Those struggling with depression
tend to self-medicate to handle the symptoms of depression with Alcohol,
Marijuana, Cocaine, and various other mind-altering substances.
5. Peer Pressure- This is most common reason among young adults and
teenagers. They start to use drugs because they want to fit in. Being
rebellious as a teenager or young adult is very common. In a lot of cases,
young adults and teenagers don’t fully understand the severity of drug
use and addiction.
6. To Feel Good- People start to abuse drugs and Alcohol because they
want to feel better than they do. Whether it is stress, anxiety or
enhancing their fun when going out on the weekends, using drugs or
alcohol to feel better is a gateway to a severe addiction.
7. Availability- Prescription drugs, Nicotine, and Alcohol are easy to
acquire because they are readily available. Raiding a persons medicine
cabinet or running to the store afor a pack of smokes and a bottle of
vodka is the quickest way to develop a life consuming addiction.
8. Gateway- In many cases, substances like Alcohol, Marijuana and
prescription painkillers act as a gateway to drugs that have a more
intense and mind-altering effect. Currently, the Opioid epidemic is
forcing people to turn to street drugs, like Meth or Heroin, when their
doctor stops writing refills for their prescriptions.
9. Experimenting- mind-altering substance, like Cocaine and Alcohol,
promise to heighten experience and that experience is worth exploring.
Unfortunately, there are drugs like Heroin, Ecstasy, and Meth, that are
so addictive that the person will begin a pattern of abuse, which can
eventually lead to an addiction.
10. Self-Medicating- Self-medicating is the top reason people abuse
drugs and Alcohol. Stress, anxiety, reoccurring pain, undiagnosed
mental illnesses, severe depression, loneliness, trauma; these are all
reasons why people would self-medicate with mind-altering substances
to cope with what they are feeling or what they do not want to feel.

School
According to Marin, Pilar M.P.P. and Brown, Brett Ph.D. (2008), major health
issues facing adolescents include obesity, drug and alcohol use, sexual activity,
and emotional health. Schools seek to affect student’s health in a number of
ways including: teaching (health classes); exercise via physical education
classes and extra-curricular sports; nutrition through school lunch content,
off-campus eating policies, and vending machine content; and, in some cases,
the provision of direct medical services. In addition, academic pressures can
produce levels of stress for certain students that can have negative effects on
their mental health. School is also a primary cultural milieu for students which
can influence drug, alcohol, and cigarette use among students, and risky
sexual activities.

Particular school problem include fear of going to school, absenteeism, and

dropping out and academic underachievement. Bullying is another problem
that can negatively affect academic performances. Bullying is the act of
unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real
or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to

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be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may
have serious, lasting problems. Studies show that students who are bullied can
experience negative physical, social, emotional, academic, and mental health
issues. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience:
 Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness,
changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities
they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood.
 Health complaints
 Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—
and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out
of school.

Sex
Early adolescence as defined by Morelli, Angela Oswalt MSW (2020), is a
precarious period in youths' sexual development because of the inter-
relationship between sexual development, cognitive development, and
emotional development. Youth at this age lack the cognitive and emotional
maturity that is necessary to make wise and healthy decisions regarding their
sexuality and are ill-prepared to cope with consequences of sexual activity. This
is particularly unfortunate as today's adolescents are becoming sexually active
sooner than previous generations.

LATE ADOLESCENCE CHALLENGE

As cited by Zarrett, Nicole and Eccles, Jacquelynne (2006) by emerging

adulthood, youth are increasingly independent, acquire and manage greater
responsibility, and take on an active role in their own development. Eccles and
Gootman go on to specify some primary challenges in this last stage of
adolescence when youth begin to take on more demanding roles: (1) the
management of these demanding roles, (2) identifying personal strengths and
weaknesses and refining skills to coordinate and succeed in these roles, (3)
finding meaning and purpose in the roles acquired, and (4) assessing and
making necessary life changes and coping with these changes. Successful
management of all these challenges depends on the psychosocial, physical, and
cognitive assets of the individual; the social supports available; and the
developmental settings in which young people can explore and interact with
these challenges.

1. Physical and biological changes

During early adolescence, youth experience dramatic changes in the
shape of their bodies, an increase in gonadal hormones, and changes
in brain architecture. Another major biological change during this
period between puberty and young adulthood is in the frontal lobes
of the brain, responsible for such functions as self-control, judgment,
emotional regulation, organization, and planning. These changes in
turn fuel major shifts in adolescents’ physical and cognitive
capacities and their social and achievement-related needs. During
early adolescence, the primary task consists of managing these
biological and cognitive shifts and the subsequent influences these
have on behavior, mood, and social relationships. How youth cope
with these changes will ultimately influence their well-being in later
adolescence as multiple additional tasks are imposed on them.

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 2. Cognitive development
Cognitive skill development over the adolescent years enables youth
to become increasingly capable of managing their own learning and
problem solving while also facilitating their identity formation and
maturation of moral reasoning. There are distinct increases in
adolescents’ capacities to think abstractly, consider multiple
dimensions of problems, process information and stimuli more
efficiently, and reflect on the self and life experiences. The successful
development of these cognitive skills relates to youth’s ability to be
planful, an important skill for successful pursuit of educational and
occupational goals. It has also been linked with adolescents’ greater
investments in understanding their own and others’ internal
psychological states and the resulting behavioral shift in focus on
their developing close and intimate friendships. As young people
consider what possibilities are available to them, they are more
capable of reflecting on their own abilities, interests, desires, and
needs. Overall, youth are able to come to a deeper understanding of
the social and cultural settings in which they live. In fact, research
has found an increase in youth’s commitments to civic involvement
when such cognitive developments are coupled with prosocial values
and opportunities to think and discuss issues of tolerance and
human interaction with others.

Pregnancy
According to the World Health Organization (2020), Adolescents who may want
to avoid pregnancies may not be able to do so due to knowledge gaps and
misconceptions on where to obtain contraceptive methods and how to use
them. Adolescents face barriers to accessing contraception including restrictive
laws and policies regarding provision of contraceptive based on age or marital
status, health worker bias and/or lack of willingness to acknowledge
adolescents’ sexual health needs, and adolescents’ own inability to access
contraceptives because of knowledge, transportation, and financial constraints.
Additionally, adolescents may lack the agency or autonomy to ensure the
correct and consistent use of a contraceptive method. At least 10 million
unintended pregnancies occur each year among adolescent girls aged 15-19
years in developing regions.

Legal Issue
Stangor, C. (2014), believes that no one thinks that adolescents are similar to
toddlers in their reasoning and judgment, dependency, or vulnerability. The
empirical assumptions about developmental immaturity that shape the legal
images of childhood do not fit comfortably with conventional notions of
adolescence. As compared with younger children, adolescents are close to
adulthood. They are physically mature, and most have the cognitive capacities
for reasoning and understanding necessary for making rational decisions." Yet,
adolescents are not fully formed persons in many regards; they continue to be
dependent on their parents and on society, and their inexperience and
immature judgment may lead them to make poor choices, which threaten harm
to themselves or others.

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Substance Abuse
According to Kulak, JA (2019), Adolescent use of illicit substances imposes an
enormous burden on individuals, families, and communities. Substance use
has correlations with violence, including adolescent homicides and relationship
victimization. Adolescence (typically encompassing youth 10 to 19 years of age)
is a time of development, including ongoing maturing of the brain; therefore, it
is essential to consider the pathophysiology of substance use. Adolescent
brains are more vulnerable to the temptation to use substances and to the
effects of these substances because reward pathways develop before prefrontal
cognition. Sustained substance use can affect neuropsychological functioning,
resulting in attention deficits, memory problems, and decreased cognitive
flexibility.

Parents
As cited by Ma, Ying, Siu, Angela, & Tse, Vincent (2018) as adolescents face
multifarious types of stressors, depressive symptoms may occur if they are
unable to adequately cope with such stressors. When high parental
expectations cannot be fulfilled, parents may respond critically to their
children’s failures, which in turn may induce stress and depression in
adolescents. Studies have demonstrated that high parental expectations are
associated with high parental criticism, which may result in adolescents’
negative emotions, such as depression. Overall, high parental expectations may
be a double-edged sword in terms of adolescents’ development. On the one
hand, high parental expectations are positively associated with adolescents’
academic performance. High parental expectations may serve as a stressor and
induce depression of adolescents.

Siblings
According to Huijsmans, Twan (2018), relative developmental differences
between siblings may diminish over the course of adolescence, so that
different-age siblings become more alike as they get older. Moreover, warmth
and intimacy within the sibling relationship may increase, and conflict and
rivalry decrease when siblings get older. In sum, an increase in similarity
between siblings and more warmth and intimacy in the sibling relationship
would imply that the association between the delinquent behavior of one
sibling and the delinquent behavior of the other strengthens over the course of
adolescence.

Teachers
Mary Ann Ware and Jodi Rath (2019), believes that being different can be
particularly challenging as a teen. Teachers can facilitate prosocial behavior
and illuminate the value of multiple perspectives while teaching diverse
student populations. Teachers may inadvertently foster competition in the
classroom, creating a hierarchy of power in which high-achieving students are
perceived as more respected than students who are struggling. Such a
hierarchy can affect struggling students' self-esteem and decrease teacher
influence with the students who may need it most. By focusing on growth
rather than achievement, the teacher creates an equal playing field, giving each
student's hard work equal value. This both shows respect and garners it.

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Community Leaders
According to Price-Mitchell, Marilyn PhD (2018), adolescence said that the
behaviors most likely to build character came from adults who:
 Supported and encouraged
 Listened
 Set high expectations
 Showed interest in them as individuals, separate from academics,
sports, or civic activities
 Fostered self-decision making
 Provided another perspective during problem-solving
As they described the adults who helped them become confident, caring, and
compassionate young people, they talked about coaches, clergy members,
camp counselors, after-school program leaders, dance teachers, and others
who took a special interest in who they were as individuals.

ADOLESCENT AS A LOVABLE AND CAPABLE PERSON

The desire to feel capable as defined by Day, Jennifer (2009), is probably as

strong in its own way as the desire to love and be loved; all a part of the need to
belong and to matter that is such a significant part of the human experience.
The desire to be capable never diminishes throughout life; picture a toddler
proclaiming his ability to be self reliant; ―I wanna do it! Le’ me do it!‖ is a cry we
have all heard from a two-year old. Teenagers are of course notorious for
wanting to demonstrate that they are capable, and if you visit a nursing home,
you frequently witness residents saying to the staff, ―Let me do it myself!‖

Positive self-esteem for teens is important according to Reach Out Australia

(2020), as it allows them to try new things, take healthy risks and solve
problems. In turn, their learning and development will be productive and will
set them up for a healthy and positive future.

Adolescent with high self-esteem from Exploring your mind (2019)…

1) Feel loved and accepted by those around them. In addition, they are
motivated to learn, try new things, and experience new places.
2) Tend to be optimistic about their future and can see problems from
different points of view.
3) Create goals for the short- and long term. They are capable of taking
responsibility for their own behavior and decisions.
4) Know their strengths and weaknesses. Just like how they know how to
accept criticism, they can slo self-criticize and face their problems.
5) Have emotional stability and show empathy.
6) Are sensitive to others’ needs. They communicate easily and have a healthy
social circle.

Performance-Based Assessment 1
Project Adolescence Campaign

Instructions: Create your own proposed project campaign to help

Middle and Late Adolescent cope up with the challenges they’re going
through.

Paper Size: Short Bond Paper (Handwritten/Typewritten)

Font Style: Times New Roman/ Calibri (Body)
Font Size: 11

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 SELF-ASSESMENT

Encircle
your
Answer

FORM
Read each statement and check ( ) the box that reflects your work today.

Name: Date:
Section:
Strongly
Disagree Agree
Agree

1. I found this work interesting.

2. I make a strong effort.
3. I am proud of the results.
4. I understood all the instructions.
5. I followed all the steps.
6. I learned something new.
7. I feel ready for the next assignment.
www.ldatschool.ca/executive-function/self-assessment/

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Reference Book:
Unlimited Books: Angelita Ong Camilar Serrano- DBA Personal Development

Online References:
 U.S. Department of Health & Human Service, Healthy Dating
Relationships in Adolescence
Retrieved from: HHS.govwww.hhs.gov › ash › oah › adolescent-
development › dating
 ACT for Youth Center of Excellence (2002), Parent-Child Relations in
Adolescence - ACT for Youth
Retrieved from: www.actforyouth.net › resources › rf_parent_0302
 Healthy Families (2014), BC Teens and Family Relationships | Healthy
Families BC
Retrieved from: www.healthy familiesbc.ca › Articles & Resources
 Jesuit Social Services (2009), Impact of Family Issues on Adolescents
Retrieved from: http://www.strongbonds.jss.org.au/workers/families/
adolescents.html
 A Better Today Recovery Services (2020), Top 10 Reasons Why People
Abuse Drugs - A Better Today
Retrieved from: abtrs.com › news › top-10-reasons-why-people-abuse-drugs
 Marin, Pilar M.P.P. and Brown, Brett Ph.D. (2008), the school
environment and adolescent well-being - Child
Retrieved from:...www.childtrends.org › child_trends-2008_11_14_rb_
schoolenviron
 Morelli, Angela Oswalt MSW (2020), The Development of Adolescent
Sexuality - Child ... – Gracepoint
Retrieved from: www.gracepointwellness.org › article › 41180-the-
development-of-ad.
 Zarrett, Nicole and Eccles, Jacquelynne (2006), The passage to
adulthood: Challenges of late adolescence - PDF ...
Retrieved from: docplayer.net › amp › 6096575-The-passage-to-adulthood-
challenges...
 World Health Organization (2020), Adolescent pregnancy
Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-
sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy
 Stangor, C. (2014), 7.3 Adolescence: Developing Independence and
Identity
Retrieved from: https://opentextbc.ca/introductiontopsychology/chapter/
6-3-adolescence-developing-independence-and-identity/
 Kulak, JA (2019), Adolescent Substance Use and Misuse: Recognition
and Management
Retrieved from: https://www.aafp.org/afp/2019/0601/p689.html
 Ma, Ying, Siu, Angela, & Tse, Vincent (2018), The Role of High
Parental Expectations in Adolescents’ Academic Performance and
Depression in Hong Kong
Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323362034
_The_Role_of_High_Parental_Expectations_in_Adolescents'_Academic_Perf
ormance_and_Depression_in_Hong_Kong
 Mary Ann Ware and Jodi Rath (2019), 4 Must-Haves for Positive
Teacher-Teen Relationships
Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol14/num26/4-
must-haves-for-positive-teacher-teen-relationships.aspx
 Reach Out Australia (2020), Self-esteem and teenagers

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 Retrieved from: https://parents.au.reachout.com/common-concerns/
everyday-issues/self-esteem-and-teenagers
 Day, Jennifer (2009), I Am Lovable and Capable! – Applying Emotional
Retrieved from: Masteryappliedemotionalmastery.blogspot.com › 2009/10 ›
i-am-lovableand...
 Exploring your mind (2019), Adolescent Self-Esteem
Retrieved from: https://exploringyourmind.com/adolescent-self-esteem/

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