Puberty and Emotions in Adolescents

Hello Hermina Friends, Puberty is a transitional period from childhood to early adolescence which is marked by the onset of sexual maturity (girls experience menstruation, boys experience wet dreams).

During puberty, the development experienced by adolescents is psychological development. It is true, apart from physical and language development, emotional and social development is one of the keys to a teenager's growth and development.

Differences between Children and Adolescents

Children:

- The activities are more play-oriented
- The language is still simple
- Don't have any shame yet
- Not paying much attention to appearance
- Reproduction has not yet begun to develop

Teenager:

-Usually do activities more often to develop interests and talents
-Has started to choose friends/places where he is
-Reproduction begins to develop accompanied by attraction to the opposite sex
-Have started to pay attention to appearance
-Already have a sense of shame

Psychological, Social and Emotional Development of Adolescents

Ages 11-13 years are known as pre-teens or early teens

- Hormonal changes occur which can cause unexpected changes in mood.
- Often in the minds of children entering puberty questions like these will arise within them:
- What do they think about me?
- Why are they looking at me?
- How do I look?
- Am I one of the “cool” or “popular” kids?

Ages 13-17 years are known as mid-teens

- Emotional imbalance and instability in many ways occurs at an early age
- Period of searching for self-identity, status is unclear (sometimes status is unclear)
- Looking for friends/environment who can accept
- Sometimes you feel insecure if you are rejected socially

Age 17 to 21 years: end of adolescence

- Entering the end of adolescence
- He wants to be the center of attention and highlight himself
- More focused
- Trying to establish self-identity
Want to achieve emotional independence

 

 

Attitudes and Behavior of Adolescents Experiencing Puberty

1. A strong sense of independence begins to emerge:
- Feels that he is independent enough and wants to let go of dependence on parents and family
- However, on the other hand, this sometimes triggers conflict with their families
2. Get bored easily:
- Children experiencing puberty tend to feel bored with games and activities that were previously very popular, including school assignments, social activities, and activities in general
- Not infrequently this causes performance to decline
3. Often does not want to cooperate, often argues and opposes
4. Emotions that tend to be unstable:
- Feeling easily worried, restless and irritable
- Tendency to become irritable over small problems or things

Problems that arise during adolescence

- Poor self-concept
- Drug abuse problems
- The problem of juvenile delinquency
- Sexual problems
- Educational Issues

Tips for Facing Puberty

- Ask and discuss puberty and sexuality with people who understand
- Always think positive and do positive things
- Increase knowledge
- Choose friends with healthy relationships (healthy friendships)
- Develop hobbies, interests and talents
Always draw closer to God Almighty

 

 

Reference:

1. Diananda, A. (2018). Adolescent psychology and its problems. ISTIGHNA, 1(1), 116-133.
2. Hurlock, E. B. (1980). Developmental Psychology: An Approach Across the Life Span (5th ed.). Jakarta: Erlangga.
3. Ahmad Califar, S.Psi, M.Psi, Psychologist