The period of physical and psychological development from puberty to maturity is referred to as adolescence. It is at this point where individuals between the ages of 11 to 22 begin a distinct and unique stage of the life cycle. The transformation can be the most difficult stage in development that an individual will endure. According to our text, “Adolescence is characterized by significant physical change, increase hormone production, sexual maturation, improved cognitive functioning, formative identity development and increased independence.” (Hutchinson & Contributors, 2011). It is at this time when an individual forms their own sense of identity. Challenging and confusing is what comes to mind when I recall …show more content…
Rebecca’s best friend is Samantha and she described her as the best friend anyone could ask for. She is fun loving, easy going, and they both have an enormous list of things in common. “…adolescents are likely to select friends that are similar to them in gender and interests… . (Hutchinson & Contributors, 2011). Sam is also smart and funny. They go everywhere and do everything together. She knows that she can count on her for anything. They met in church and then found out that they were attending the same school. Interactions with peers become particularly important during adolescence and have a significant effect on their maturity and their identity development.
Rebecca also has a group of friends that she calls “her soccer friends.” They share the commonality of being athletic and are in the high honors classes together. They have the appreciation of the sport they are playing and perform at a higher academic level than their average peers. “By mid-adolescence, the peer group is organized around common interests … .” (Hutchinson & Contributors, 2011). They go out as a group during the weekends and have a rotating sleep-over routine. They enjoy each other’s …show more content…
She replied, I don’t think they have to be very strict. There is a fine line with being strict and being irrational. Teenagers need to make mistakes and they need to learn and grown from them.” She told me that her parents give her respect and listen to what she has to say and it is the same way for her. My parents have confidence in me that I will make the right decisions and be responsible. They are not overbearing and trust me enough to give me freedom to make decisions on my own. I know that my parents love me and want the best for me so when they tell me I can’t do certain things, I know that they are looking out for me and they have my best interest in mind.” She told me that they have a very close relationship and that she is extremely lucky to have such wonderful parents. “The parent’s behavior also affects the way the child feels about the parent.” (Galdwell, 1998). Their relationship is one that there is nothing that they cannot talk about. They value her opinion and input. She said that their family has always been extremely attentive to one another and affectionate. She stated, “there is a lot of love in our family that I do not see in other homes.” The fact that she shared that statement signaled how different she was compared to her peers. “Children who are treated with affection and respect tend to do better at managing their lives and their personal