Changes In Puberty

1. What visible changes take place in puberty?

Due to fast physical growth and sexual maturation, there are numerous visible changes that take place during puberty. For girls, visible changes include nipple growth, pubic hair growth, breast maturation, widening of the hips, menarche, and an overall peak growth spurt. For boys, visible changes include growth of the testes, pubic-hair growth, growth of the penis, facial hair, spermarche, deepening of the voice, and peak growth.

2. How do hormones affect the physical and psychological aspects of puberty?

Hormones significantly affect the physical and psychological aspects of puberty. During this time, a “surge of hormones” occurs, which affects the teen’s body, brain, and behavior. In girls,

the hormone estrogen contributes to an increase in depression and triggers menarche. In boys, androgens trigger spermarche, produce sperm, and contribute to the onset of schizophrenia. In addition, during this time, conception becomes possible for girls. Furthermore, hormones increase the teen’s interest in sex.

3. Why might some high schools adopt later start times?
Some high schools may adopt later start times because of the sleep-deprivation of teenagers. Adolescents biologically are wide awake at night, which in turn inhibits their sleep. Due to the hormones of the HPA axis, teens experience a phase delay in the sleep during puberty. Early sleep and then early rising for school are very difficult for teenagers. In addition, many teens have difficulty focusing in the morning and experience drowsiness.

4. What is the connection between body fat and onset of puberty in girls and in boys?
There is a significant connection between body fat and the onset of puberty in both sexes. For instance, girls that are heavy have their first menstrual cycle years earlier than malnourished ones do. However, body fat doesn’t seem to be as necessary for boys. In fact, boys who suffer from obesity are often delayed in puberty.

5. Why might early puberty be difficult for girls?
Early puberty can be difficult for girls because it causes low self-esteem, depression, and poor body image. Girls who go through puberty earlier than normal may get teased by boys because boys usually mature two years later than girls. In addition, girls who mature early tend to have older boyfriends, are more involved in domestic violence, and more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.

6. What problems are common among early-maturing boys?
Common problems among early-maturing boys are aggressiveness, criminal activity, and the abuse of drugs. These various problems are caused by a rapid increase in testosterone.

7. What are the sex differences in the growth spurt?
Girls usually experience the growth spurt before boys (an average of two years ahead). In addition, the average girl has more body fat than the average boy, whose increased weight is mainly muscle mass. In addition, girls’ height growth spurt usually takes place before menarche, whereas boys’ height growth spurt usually takes place after spermarche.

8. How do the skin and hair change during puberty?
During puberty, the skin becomes sweatier, oilier, and acne prone. In addition, hair becomes darker and coarser while growing under arms, on faces, and over sex organs.

9. What is the difference between primary and secondary sex characteristics?
Whereas primary sex characteristics are directly involved in conception and pregnancy, secondary sex characteristics do not directly affect reproduction but signify gender.

10. What problems might occur if adolescents do not get enough iron or calcium?
There are many problems that can occur if adolescents do not consume enough iron or calcium. If adolescents have an iron deficiency, anemia is a possibility, which is more likely to be experienced by girls because menstruation depletes iron. However, boys may also be iron-deficient if they engage in intensive physical activity because muscles need iron for strength and growth. Likewise, if adolescents do not get enough calcium, they may eventually develop osteoporosis, which is a major cause of injury, disability, and death in late adulthood.

11. Why is body image often problematic in adolescence?
Body image is often problematic in adolescence because teens look up to famous film stars and media models and desire to be like them. In addition, self-acceptance is particularly difficult in adolescence because so many body changes are taking place. Teens tend to exaggerate and focus on perceived flaws. This negative body image can cause eating disorders, which are becoming more common among adolescents.

12. What types of disordered eating are common in adolescence?
The types of disordered eating that are common in adolescence for both sexes are eating erratically, overeating, and ingesting drugs to lose weight. However, boys are more likely to take steroids and other substances to increase their muscle mass. These disordered eating patterns can lead to more serious eating disorders including: Anorexia Nervosa (voluntary starvation), Bulimia Nervosa (compulsive overeating followed by purging) and binge eating disorder (compulsive overconsumption of food in a short amount of time).

13. What are the differences among anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder?
Even though anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder are all types of eating disorders, they each have characteristics that define them. For instance, anorexia is defined as voluntary starvation whereas bulimia nervosa is defined as binge eating and subsequent purging through vomiting or laxatives. Binge eating disorder, similar to bulimia, is defined as quickly consuming large amounts of food compulsively, but unlike bulimia, does not involve purging.

Chapter 10: Page 368

1. How does the influence of peers and parents differ for adolescents?
For adolescents, the influence of peers and parents differ. While parents and peers are often mutually reinforcing, adolescents often downplay the influence of their parents and many parents are unaware of the influence of peers. Adolescents often desire independence from their parents which clashes with their parents’ desire to maintain control. Because of this, adolescents tend to rely on friends to help them navigate the challenges of high school, social changes of entering adolescents, and the physical changes of puberty. It’s evident that friends and peer opinions are vital to adolescents.

2. When, and about what, are parents and adolescents most likely to argue?
Parents and adolescents are most likely to argue about routine, day-to-day concerns such as cleanliness, chores, clothes, and schedules. This bickering is most likely to occur during early adolescence because adolescents are trying to become independent while parents still want to maintain some control over their child’s lives.

3. When is parental monitoring of adolescent activity beneficial and when is it not helpful?
Parental monitoring of adolescent activity is beneficial when the process is mutual with adults who care and adolescents who communicate and stems from a warm, supportive relationship. However, when the monitoring is derived from suspicion, or if the parents are cold and strict, the helpful aspects may diminish.

4.

Why do many adults misunderstand the role of peer pressure?

Adults misunderstand the role of peer pressure because they fear it. In particular, they fear that peers will push their children to use drugs, or engage in criminal activity. However, especially in early adolescence, peers can be more helpful than harmful.

5. How do parents and society affect an adolescent’s development of ethnic identity?

Both parents and society strongly affect an adolescent’s development of ethnic identity. Society may promote prejudice and stereotypes and that may result in depression. However, parents have the ability to counteract society by describing ethnic heroes and reasons to be proud of their ethnicity. Furthermore, friends may be helpful for adolescent immigrants and minorities.

6. How do friends help adolescents?

Friends help adolescents by providing companions, encouragement, and opportunity. In addition, friends can help bolster self-esteem. Friends can either facilitate destructive or constructive behaviors, which helps adolescents act in ways they are unlikely to act on their own.

7. How do adolescents choose romantic

partners?
Adolescents choose romantic partners by looking for traits that peers admire instead of selecting partners for their individual traits. Furthermore, adolescents tend to select partners who are available rather than those who are compatible.

8. How does culture affect sexual orientation?
Culture powerfully affects sexual orientation. Some cultures accept youth who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, which allows these individuals to be comfortable and proud of their orientation. In contrast, some cultures criminalize them, and sometimes even kill them, which results in individuals not coming out about their orientation and hiding it. In cultures where same-sex partnerships are accepted, hazards stemming from the hiding of one’s orientation (such as binge drinking, drug use, and suicidal ideation), are less common.

9. From whom do adolescents usually learn about sex?
Adolescents usually learn about sex from the media, their friends, and sometimes their family.

Many adolescents learn about sex from the media simply because the interest is readily and widely available to youth. In addition, many adolescents feel more comfortable learning information from the internet than from their parents or friends. However, it is thought that sex education begins within the family. Parental communication influences adolescents’ behavior regarding sex. Parents who openly communicate with their child about sex may prevent their child from engaging in risky sexual behaviors. However, when parents are silent, vague, or forbidding, adolescents learn and are strongly influenced by

friends.

10. What are national variations in sex education in schools?
Sex education varies worldwide. For example, teachers in a majority of northern European middle schools discuss various taboo sex topics while in the United States, sex education is limited. In particular, some schools provide comprehensive education while others provide nothing. Likewise, some schools begin sex education earlier than others.