Early adolescence: what it is and what changes occur

According to the World Health Organization, Adolescence is the stage of development that occurs after childhood and before adulthood, between 10 and 19 years old. Although, it is worth mentioning that everyone starts, lives and ends at relatively variable times. What is important is the adaptive, functional and decisive value that this period implies.

Now, within this stage three stages are included: early adolescence, middle adolescence and late adolescence. In each of them it is more likely that certain changes will be achieved and that these will happen more quickly.

Next, we will focus on early adolescence and the processes that are usually triggered during this phase of development.

Changes experienced in early adolescence

early adolescence It is the first stage, which takes place between the ages of 10 and 13, some authors mention that up to 14 years of age. During this period, the most noticeable changes are physical, as they coincide with the onset of puberty. For example, the famous “growth spurt” occurs, the voice changes, hair appears in the pubic area and armpits, etc.

However, other processes also occur, which we detail below.

Physicists

As we already said, during early adolescence it happens the “growth spurt”, which is due to the rapid and uneven growth of the bones of the body. This abrupt fact usually causes problems in the coordination of movements, which gives an appearance of clumsiness. However, it is temporary and normal at this stage.

Additionally, the body begins to generate sex hormones, which induce the development of secondary sexual characteristics. Breast growth and the appearance of menstruation are common in women, while in men the size of the testicles and penis increases.

Parallel, body hair grows, especially in the armpits and pubic area; In addition, there is an increase in sweating and a change in body odor; The skin becomes oilier, leading many teenagers to develop acne.

Early adolescence is characterized by being the beginning of puberty.

Cognitive, psychological and emotional

The transition from adolescence usually generates a series of psychological and emotional changes in young people. Among the most common are the anxiety, confusion, fear, excitement, or swagger. Everything will depend on the personal characteristics of the adolescent and the experiences he or she has in his or her environment.

For its part, in early adolescence It is common for young people to focus their thoughts on themselves, as a kind of egocentrism. Consequently, many of them tend to feel self-conscious about their changing appearance, think that everyone has their eyes on them, and believe that they are constantly being judged.

Most adolescents who go through this stage continue to have a specific thought. This implies that even They are not able to anticipate the consequences of their actions and are still far from thinking like an adult does.. Even at the beginning of early adolescence, dichotomous and unnuanced thinking is still present (black or white, good or bad, etc.).

Sexual

In early adolescence, sexual desire, typical of adults, has not yet been consolidated. That is to say, contacts with peers are usually unrelated to sexual attraction.

For its part, although sexual orientation (homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual, asexual, etc.) is usually determined later, They begin to have a greater awareness of the gender to which they belongcompared to when they were boys and girls.

During this stage, Young people often adapt their behavior and appearance to sociocultural norms, associated with the gender with which they identify or with which they were raised.

Social

Compared to middle and late adolescence, social changes are not as marked. In this case, social processes are rather consequences of physical changes and how these are perceived, both by the individual and by the people around him.

The teenager feels curious and strange when noticing how his body is changing. These transformations They usually bring you closer to your peers, who are probably going through the same process and with whom it forms a type of group identification.

Thanks to this identification with his group of friends, adolescents tend to seek more support from their peers than from their own parents, who take a backseat. They even begin to question his authority.

In early adolescence, there is great concern about the body and its changes.

Adolescence: a period of transition

Adolescents are in a state of permanent transitionin which sometimes they feel more like children, that is, more dependent, and other times more adults, more independent and responsible for their lives.

For example, if you have a teenage son or daughter, it is common that one day you congratulate him or her for presenting an act of maturity and responsibility (he helped his grandmother with the housework or his younger brother with his homework). But it is just as common that, in the same week, your son or daughter surprises you with an act of immaturity (she forgot her backpack on public transportation, she received a remark from school for playing at the wrong time).

If you are the parent of a teenager, before getting angry, remember the stage they are going through., that your brain is constantly changing, remodeling itself and generating new neural connections. Your son or daughter is going through a period full of accelerated growth and change, and a lot of confusion, which requires understanding and support.

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