Myself, a mask Shrugging off the blows Waiting for the next to fall A suit of armor covering my soul With every blow it gleams brighter Steel that shines like the sun Inside is myself wasting away In the face of reality Longing for a life of peace and truth Dust am I Sifting through the cracks in the armor To lay upon the ground To be crushed underfoot To be scattered by the wind And still the mask marches on Relentless Tireless A shadow of the real me@ MauriceSprague, at age 13
Adolescence is the life stage that bridges childhood and adulthood. In general, it represents the second decade of life. Many psychologists have begun to seperate this life stage into several, including early adolescence (10-13 yrs), traditional or mid-adolescence (14-18 yrs), and late adolescence or youth (19-23 yrs).
The development of adolescents is characterized by continuity and discontinuity. Physically, adolescents are still influenced by their inherited genes, but now the inheritance interacts with new social conditions with family, peers, school, dating, and friendships. Socially, an adolescent has already spent years interacting with parents, friends, and teachers. Now, though, new experiences arise and relationships take on a different form, especially concerning dating and intimacy. And lastly, the cognitive development of adolescents involves thought processes that are more abstract and idealistic.
Puberty and Sexual Development
Puberty is a period of rapid skeletal and sexual maturation. It is not a single, sudden event, buy rather it is a gradual process. It is hard to pinpoint the beginning and end of puberty, however menarche (first menstruation) for girls, or the first few whiskers for boys can mark its appearance. Testosterone (males) and estradiol (females) play important roles in pubertal development. Growth spurts that accompany puberty occur at the average age of 12.5 years for boys and 10.5 years for girls
Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbearing
Coalition for Positive Sexuality
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Formal Operational ThoughtJean Piaget, a famous Swiss psychologist and theorist, placed adolescents in a cognitive stage he called formal operational thought. In between ages 11 and 15 Piaget believed that thought became more abstract than a childs, more idealistic, and more logical.
Social CognitionAdolescents begin to develop a type of egocentrism characterized by two parts: an imaginary audience and a personal fable. An imaginary audience is the youth's belief that others are as preoccupied with them as they are. The personal fable is characterized by the thought, "That would never happen to me." Adolescents have a sense of personal uniqueness that leads them to believe no one can really understand them.
Schooling
The transition to middle or junior high school is a stressful time characterized by the top-dog phenomenon. Adolescents move from the top position in elementary school to the lowest position in middle or junior high school. They are the youngest, smallest, and least powerful in their new school.
Dropping out of high school has been a serious problem for decades. Causes of dropping out include school related problems such as not liking school, and being expelled or suspended. There are also economic reasons, and personal reasons such as pregnancy or marriage.
FamiliesWithin the family there is a greater transfer of control from the parents to the adolescent, but there is still the boundary of coregulation. Adolescents begin to push for autonomy and responsibility which can puzzle and anger parents, and often causes some conflict. This push for automony by the adolescent is a process, though, and they continue to keep some strong attachments to their parents.The best change then, is a gradual one wherein the parent relinquishes control step by step, and retains a secure attachment or connectedness to the teen, which will promote more competent relationships for the adolescent later in life.
Some adolescents experience the divorce of their parents. This raises a number of other developmental challenges. Peers 
Teens spend much more time with their peers during adolescence, with popularity being a strong motivation for many of them. Peer pressure is strong during this age, cliques become visible, groups and crowds become more heterogenous and heterosexual, and dating becomes very important. Youth organizations can have an important influence on adolescents.
Culture & EthnicityIn our diverse world there is increasing contact between adolescents of different cultures and ethnic groups. Cross-cultural studies have become very important. In many societies there are rites of passage that mark the adolescent's transition from one status to another (usually adult status). In many small-scale societies these transitions are well defined, but in America, rites of passage to adulthood are ill defined. Ethnic and social class influence the development of adolescents. Poverty, for example, can increase the stress among ethnic minorities. Also, there are special concerns about the diversity among teens that can lead to value conflicts, assimilation (the absorption of ethnic minority groups into the dominant group), or pluralism (coexistence among ethnic groups).
Identity
Erik Erikson's stage of "identity vs. identity confusion" is the fifth of his eight developmental stages in his life-cycle theory. During adolescence, world views become important and the individual enters what is called a "psychological 
moratorium". This refers to a period of exploring different roles, values, and skills.
As part of identity formation, adolescents often affiliate with different groups. It is a time between childhood security and the responsibilities of adulthood.
Canadian psychologist James Marcia has proposed four stages of identity development: identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, identity moratorium and identity achievment. Overall, researchers say that this development of identity happens during the latter half of adolescence.
Spirituality and ReligionTeens show more of an interest in religion during adolescence, and religious institutions are often designed to introduce them to religion. Adolescence can be an important time for religious development, and Piaget's theory provides a cognitive basis for their understanding of religion (abstract thought).
Problems and Disorders
Drug and Alcohol Abuse: The U.S. has the highest rate of adolescent drug use than any other industrialized nation. The 1960s and 1970s marked a sharp increase in drug use that accompanied the social and political unrest of the time. After a slight decrease in the 80s and early 90s, the use of drugs is rising again. Drugs used include marijuana, stimulants, LSD, inhalants and cocaine, but by far alcohol is the most commonly abused drug.
More Information about adolescent problems and disorders:
