THE CHALLENGES OF MIDDLE AND LATE
ADOLESCENCE
HOW CAN YOU, AS AN ADOLESCENT, BALANCE THE EXPECTATIONS OF
SIGNIFICANT PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE AND YOUR PERSONAL ASPIRATIONS?
According to Brian Tracy, "successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others;
while unsuccessful people are always asking the question, 'what is it for me?" It is very important
for you to note that challenges are part and parcel of life. At the end of the day, success is not
determined by how many times you make mistakes rather you put emphasis on the times you learn
from those mistakes. As you grow older expectations both from inside and out compel you to make
decisions in life. Decision making is indeed the working of an adult person. Remember! You are now
in your middle or late adolescent stage. And you are at stake with expectations from your peers,
teachers, and your parents.
In this Lesson, you will be helped to face courageously those challenges you may encounter. Being
able to manage and affirm your ability to strive for the best are the very goals you must live and
practice now!
THE CHALLENGES OF MIDDLE AND LATE ADOLESCENT
•This period of adolescence is the age of change. Young people, being vulnerable in their adolescence, can develop
unhealthy habits which become a problem later in their adult life when improperly guided (Gongala, 2017). Problems
include behavioral issues which become quite common. Hence, to be able to deal with and help our young people, it is
very important to address these challenges in their adolescent years to make them more prepared to face them.
•
•Challenges refer to a task or a situation that tests someone’s abilities. Adolescence has three stages namely: a) early
adolescence, from 12 to 14 years, b) middle adolescence, from 15 to 17 years, and c) late adolescence, 18 to 20 years.
Here are some common challenges that adolescents in both early and middle stages face, according to Wayne State
University Physician Group:
Attitude and Behavior
Sexual Relationship
Academic Concerns
THE Group Belongingness
Health and Nutrition
CHALLENGES Developing/Regaining Self – esteem
OF MIDDLE Roles
Material Poverty
AND LATE Parents Working Abroad
ADOLESCENT Career Choice
Values and Beliefs
Depression
Self – Identity
Defining Responsibilities
Time Management
ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR
•Every attitude is a combination of feelings, beliefs, and evaluations. Behavior refers to the actions or reactions
of an object or organism. Attitude predicts behavior.
SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP
•An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship that involves physical and/or emotional intimacy.
Physical intimacy is characterized by friendship, platonic love, romantic love, or sexual activity. Humans have a
general desire to belong and to love, which is usually satisfied within an intimate relationship.
ACADEMIC CONCERNS
•School-related concerns, in particular, were positively associated with academic stress arising from other-
expectations, which were found in female adolescents only. However, it is plausible that adolescents who are
academically stressed are also more likely to display personal concerns.
GROUP BELONGINGNESS
•A sense of belonging is a human need, just like the need for food and shelter. Feeling that you belong is most
important in seeing value in life and in coping with intensely painful emotions.
HEALTH AND NUTRITION
•Nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs. Good nutrition – an
adequate, well-balanced diet combined with regular physical activity is a cornerstone of good health.
DEVELOPING/REGAINING SELF-
ESTEEM
IT IS THE ACT OF GAINING CONTROL AND NOT BEING CRITICAL OF YOU TO OTHERS.
ROLES
•They are part of one’s identity which specific activities or obligations for which they are held accountable when they
assume or are assigned to.
MATERIAL POVERTY
•It is the scarcity or the lack of a certain (variant) amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty,
extreme poverty, or destitution refers to the complete lack of the means necessary to meet basic personal
needs such as food, clothing, and shelter.
PARENTS WORKING ABROAD
•Several studies showed how migration of parents is indeed heart-breaking for children, making them long for
parental care, get confused over gender roles, be vulnerable to abuse, and even develop consumerist attitudes.
CAREER CHOICE
IT DETERMINES SUCCESS IN THE NEXT STAGES OF LIFE.
VALUES AND BELIEFS
•Values are stable long-lasting beliefs about what is important to a person. They become standards by which
people order their lives and make their choices. A belief will develop into a value when the person’s
commitment to it grows and they see it as being important.
DEPRESSION
•It is a mental condition characterized by feelings of severe despondency and dejection, typically also with
feelings of inadequacy and guilt, often accompanied by lack of energy and disturbance of appetite and sleep.
SELF-IDENTITY
•It is the recognition of one’s potential and qualities as an individual, especially in relation to social context.
DEFINING RESPONSIBILITIES
•This means the state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one’s power,
control, or management.
TIME MANAGEMENT
IT IS THE ABILITY TO USE ONE’S TIME EFFECTIVELY OR PRODUCTIVELY.
THE IMPORTANCE OF AFFIRMATION
•Young people continue to venture self-discovery in their adolescence, which can be both stressful and anxiety-
provoking. It is very important to guide them in this transition stage (Australian Institute of Professional
Counselors, ND). Affirmation through positive feedback will help a lot.
•
•We have to see and appreciate the beauty of giving positive feedback as our way to help each other cope with
the struggle of being an adolescent. In fact, feedback is considered to be a vital discourse of effective learning.
Young people improve their self-confidence, self- awareness, and enthusiasm about how he or she behaves when
favorably perceived by others.
•
•Open and constructive communication with others is an important step to self-awareness. This activity will help
students freely express their appreciation of their classmates. It is as well a good avenue for students to come up
with reconciliation. Genuine gestures of affirmation that they appreciate, care and value each other will
strengthen their bond not just as classmates but as good friends.
