[Week III] Adolescence

Adolescence is the process where a child grow up to an adult or the process of maturity. This process can be seen not only from physical appearance but also mentally. Physically, the child will grow taller, bigger, and they will face puberty. On the other hand, the changes from the point of mentality can be seen by the way they think and act. When someone grow older, people will expect them to have more responsibility and they expect them to be more independent. For example, when we were still a child, we were very depend on our parents, but after we grow up we must learn how to be independent, because sooner or later we will have to live by ourselves.

Usually, during this period, we search for our identity, but it may lead us to conflicts. For some youngster, the conflict of identity that adolescence brings does not really influence them, but for some teenagers, this is quite real. Sometimes, some of them also feels like everybody around them are watching, talking, and judging them, but the fact is that no one really care that much about them.

The environment of the teenagers such as family and friends can bring some influence to them, and if it's not good it even can bring them to the act of suicide. Family has a great influence in this process, especially the approaches used by their parents. there are 3 types of approaches, the authoritarian style, the permissive style, and the democratic style. The authoritarian style is where the parents always control the adolescent, so the adolescent doesn't given any freedom, and usually, this leads to rebellion and conflicts. In the permissive style, teenagers are almost free, but their parents give them some limits. Last but not least, the democratic style, where parents give some advice and some limits to them, but teenagers are also involve in making a decision.