Common Issues of Adolescence

What kind of challenges is your youngster facing right now?

Among the challenges for young people going through adolescence are:

Establishing a personal identity.
Developing independence
Expanding personal relationships
Exploring ones talents and abilities.

For students, these can be confusing tasks and may interfere with their success at school. As school counselors, we provide short-term counseling to students and consultation to parents and school staff regarding these student issues.

Other Common Issues of Adolescence

SOCIAL

Concerns with fitting in
Socializing with friends takes precedence over grades and other former interests
Overuse of denial of consequences when taking risks
Require structure, although reject and fight against it
Crave time alone
Experimentation with alcohol, drug, or sexual activity in order to obtain/maintain friends, humiliate parents, and counteract fears of worthlessness
Low self-esteem
Exaggerated use of imitating role models

EMOTIONAL

May complain about physical symptoms that have to do with psychosomatic symptoms.
Transition from obedience to rebellion
Rejection of parental guidelines
Underlying need to please adults
Hero worship/crushes
Values/good behavior in exchange for rewards
Boy/girl fantasies
Present oriented rather than future oriented
Overreaction to relatively minor incidents, often having to do with appearance and acceptance
Variations in appearance from peers results in undue self-criticism.

PHYSICAL

Rapid, uneven growth spurts (height, weight gain, muscle growth)
Variations between increased and decreased appetite
Undue attention to weight (80% of girls, 39% boys worry about weight or strength; may lead to use of weight reduction methods, anorexia, bulimia, or steroid use)
Greater nutrient needs, but poor dietary habits (fast foods, snacks)
Fatigue and growing pains
Discomfort when sitting for long periods of time
Considerable individual differences
Show self-consciousness in learning new skills