That period of personal development marked by the onset of puberty and continuing through the early teenage years. While it is associated with the process of physical maturation, normally occurring more quickly in girls than in boys, the actual age-range and behavioural patterns involved can vary considerably from one society to another. Adolescence in the Third World, for example, is more likely to mean working in the fields for one's parents and taking on adult responsibilities from as young as age 9 or 10 than a prolonged period of schooling as it does in more prosperous societies. Whatever the differences, adolescents commonly want to be independent of their parents; the conflicts this may generate are sometimes said to reflect the generation gap.
In common usage in western, English language countries, "adolescent" and "teenager" may be considered synonyms (though it should be noted that the term 'teenager' is an artifact of the English counting system, not something that occurs in most languages), though the exact endpoints of each category don't always coincide depending on the definition of "adolescent" being used."Adolescence" is a modern cultural and social phenomenon and therefore its end points are not easily tied to physical milestones and historically this stage of development has not existed in its current form.
The ages of adolescence vary by culture. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines adolescence as the period of life between 10 and 19 years of age. As distinct from the varied interpretations of who is considered an "adolescent", the word "teenager" is more easily defined: it describes a person who is thirteen to nineteen years of age.
During this period of life, most children go through the physical stages of puberty which, in recent times, has begun between the ages of nine and thirteen, while historically began much later. (See #Puberty below)
Most cultures regard people as becoming adults at various ages of the teenage years. (See #Social and cultural below)
Puberty
Puberty is the stage of the human lifespan in which a child develops secondary sex characteristics as his or her hormonal balance shifts strongly towards an adult state.
The onset of puberty in girls especially appears to be related to body fat percentage. In most Western countries, the average age of menarche fell, in a secular trend, over the last century.
Some theorists believe that analysis of data shows the age of onset of menarche to correlate to whether a girl lives with her natural father, a stepfather, or no father at all. Yet others propose a climatological connection and attribute the decreased average age of menarche in part to climate change or global warming.
Historically this stage of development began much later, sometime between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, which allowed the child to mentally and emotionally mature more and brought them closer to the age of consent before reaching this physically and emotionally challenging developmental stage.
Preteens
The word preteen describes a child. This word comes from the age being between that of a child and a teenager, and perhaps it has also been inspired by the first sounds of numeral twelve and the similarity to teen.
Preteens are increasingly a specifically targeted market segment by business, because they tend to maintain the preferences they develop at this age.
Preteen includes ages 8 to 12.
Teenagers
A teenager or teen is a person whose age is a number ending in "teen" in the English language: that is to say, someone from the age of thirteen to the age of nineteen. Equivalent words in other languages may apply to a larger age bracket, including (at least some) preteens;
In Western culture, a distinct youth culture has developed.
Emerging adulthood
Some scholars have theorized a new stage of development, post-adolescence and pre-adulthood. Arnett, notes, however, that this stage is situationally and culturally constructed (i.e., people in other countries may not experience this as a unique life stage.)
Psychology of adolescents
Physical maturation resulting from puberty leads to an interest in sexual activities, sometimes leading to teenage pregnancy. As many adolescents are not mentally or emotionally prepared to handle the feelings and emotions that come along with sex, nor financially able to support children, it is problematic when teens engage in such behaviors. At this age there is also a greater probability of drug and alcohol use, or mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, eating disorders such as anorexia, and depression.
Searching for a unique identity is one of the problems that adolescents often face.
Among many people of this age, role models such as sports players, rock stars and movie and television performers are very popular, and adolescents often express a desire to be like their chosen role model.
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The information processing theory, on the other hand, does not see this as a qualitatively different stage, but rather just part of the uniformally gradual slope in gaining more experience.
Positive Psychology is sometimes brought up when addressing adolescent psychology as well.
Social and cultural
In commerce, this generation is seen as an important target.
In the past (and still in some cultures) there were ceremonies that celebrate adulthood, typically occurring during adolescence. Upanayanam is a coming of age ceremony for males in the Hindu world. In Judaism, 12-year-old females and 13-year-old males become b'nai mitzvah and often have a celebration to mark this coming of age. Among some denominations of Christianity, the rite or sacrament of Confirmation is received by adolescents and may be considered the time at which adolescents becomes members of the church in their own right. African boys also have a coming of age ceremony in which, upon reaching adolescence, the males state a promise to never do anything to shame their families or their village. In America, girls will often have a "sweet sixteen" party to celebrate turning the aforementioned age, a tradition similar to the quinceañera in Latino culture. The popular history of adolescents participating in these movements may perhaps start with Joan of Arc, and extend to present times with popular youth activism, student activism, and other efforts to make youth voice heard.
Legal issues
A number of social scientists, including anthropologist Margaret Mead and sociologist Mike Males, have repeatedly noted the contradictory treatment of laws affecting adolescents in the United States.
Internationally, those over a certain age (often 18, though this varies) are legally considered responsible adults. Those who are under the age of legal responsibility may be considered too young to be held accountable for criminal action.
The issue of youth activism affecting political, social, educational, and moral circumstances is of growing significance around the world. Youth-led organizations around the world have fought for social justice, the youth vote seeking to gain teenagers the right to vote, to secure more youth rights, and demanding better schools through student activism.
Youth are also becoming more involved in community leadership, governance, and service.
The sale of selected items such as cigarettes, alcohol, and videos with sexual or violent content is often prohibited based on age. Such age restrictions vary widely. In the United States, teenagers are usually allowed to drive at 16 (each state sets its own minimum driving age of which a curfew may be imposed), but they cannot legally purchase or consume alcohol until 21. In Europe it is more common for the driving age to be higher (18, usually) while the drinking age is lower than that of the US (usually 18 when unaccompanied). The traditional age of full maturity in the U.S. is 21 and, until recently (see: Twenty-sixth amendment) people were not legally allowed to vote until this age. At present, citizens may vote at 18 and usually can run in local and state elections at that age (and sometimes do;
Given the emotional immaturity of adolescents, many countries consider those under a certain age to be too young to engage in sexual intercourse and other sexual activities with adults, even if they are physiologically capable (see age of consent). Pedophilia is defined as interest in children before puberty, yet informally in the United States and other countries, it may also include interest in adolescents, with their maturing bodies (although the correct term for an interest in post-pubescent adolescents is called Ephebophilia). In some other countries or cultures, typically those in which extended family relationships prevent the quick taking-up and dropping of romantic relationships, relationships between adults and adolescents are socially accepted or viewed with tolerance. In many countries, sex with adolescents below a certain age has become a social issue and is considered a serious sex crime. The age of consent varies according to the country or state/region.
Pornography involving those under a certain age, typically 18 (see child pornography), is also considered unacceptable and strictly prohibited in most countries. Female adolescents are sometimes forced to engage in prostitution and slavery, even at a young age.
Since the advent of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, almost every country (except the U.S. &
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