Puberty: Biological Changes
During puberty adolescents face biological changes to their bodies that lead to reproductive maturation. These include the development of primary and secondary sex characteristics like changes in voice tone or breast size, bodily growth, accelerated brain development and changes in levels of hormones. This means that youth are facing changes to their bodies that impact how they behave and how others view or relate to them.
Adolescents may exhibit differences in the timing of these changes (puberty may start early or late compared to other youth), sequencing or order of these changes and their tempo (how quick they go through these transitions). All of these may receive positive or negative reactions from peers and may lead adolescents to feel proud or stressed out and depressed.
Girls in particular show higher levels of depression starting in puberty and extending through the life course (Ge, Conger and Elder, 2001).
Studies show that the more information youth have about these changes before they occur, lessen the stress they experience during them.
However, schools tend to offer sex education after many youth have gone through these changes (Stein and Whisnant Reiner, 1994). It might be helpful for parents to have conversations with children about changes during puberty before their children go through them.
References
Ge, X., Conger, R. D., & Elder, G. H., Jr. (2001). Pubertal transition, stressful life events, and the emergence of gender differences in adolescent depressive symptoms. Developmental Psychology, 37, 404-417. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fpublication%2F11967190_Pubertal_transition_stressful_life_events_and_the_emergence_of_gender_differences_in_adolescent_depressive_symptoms%2Ffile%2F79e41511d4c2a54c14.pdf&ei=CntQU6zWLcSLyATU_YDgBQ&usg=AFQjCNG2fezhyxJNlRZcmA6UcjgymnJYjA&bvm=bv.65058239,d.aWw
Stein, J. H., & Reiser, L. W. (1994). A study of White middle-class adolescent boys’ responses to “Semenarche” (the first ejaculation). Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 23, 373 – 384. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01536725
Susman, E. J., & Dorn, L. D. (2009). Puberty: Its role in development. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology: Individual bases of adolescent development (3rd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 116-151). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470149213.html
Adolescents may exhibit differences in the timing of these changes (puberty may start early or late compared to other youth), sequencing or order of these changes and their tempo (how quick they go through these transitions). All of these may receive positive or negative reactions from peers and may lead adolescents to feel proud or stressed out and depressed.
Girls in particular show higher levels of depression starting in puberty and extending through the life course (Ge, Conger and Elder, 2001).
Studies show that the more information youth have about these changes before they occur, lessen the stress they experience during them.
However, schools tend to offer sex education after many youth have gone through these changes (Stein and Whisnant Reiner, 1994). It might be helpful for parents to have conversations with children about changes during puberty before their children go through them.
References
Ge, X., Conger, R. D., & Elder, G. H., Jr. (2001). Pubertal transition, stressful life events, and the emergence of gender differences in adolescent depressive symptoms. Developmental Psychology, 37, 404-417. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fpublication%2F11967190_Pubertal_transition_stressful_life_events_and_the_emergence_of_gender_differences_in_adolescent_depressive_symptoms%2Ffile%2F79e41511d4c2a54c14.pdf&ei=CntQU6zWLcSLyATU_YDgBQ&usg=AFQjCNG2fezhyxJNlRZcmA6UcjgymnJYjA&bvm=bv.65058239,d.aWw
Stein, J. H., & Reiser, L. W. (1994). A study of White middle-class adolescent boys’ responses to “Semenarche” (the first ejaculation). Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 23, 373 – 384. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01536725
Susman, E. J., & Dorn, L. D. (2009). Puberty: Its role in development. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology: Individual bases of adolescent development (3rd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 116-151). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470149213.html