What IS happening to adolescents today?
by Lorrie Sippola
When I tell people that I am a psychologist and that I am interested in adolescent development, I get different types of reactions. If the person is a parent of a young child, the typical response I get is "I'm so glad I don't have to worry about that for a few years yet!" If the person is a parent of an adolescent: "I could sure tell you a thing or two about adolescents. I could write a book!" If the person is an adolescent:: "Whoa, get outta my head!" Each of these responses tend to reflect biases or assumptions that people make about (a) the period of development we call "adolescence" and (b) the type of work I do.
Assumptions about adolescence include beliefs that once the hormones kick in, that little angel who has been living in your house will suddenly turn into a sullen, moody, lazy, argumentative stranger. Another assumption that pervades our society is that today's youth are out of control...violent...dangerous. This assumption is clearly fed by the media which tends to sensationalise criminal acts, particularly acts of violence, by youth. However, as a developmental psychologist and as a member of our community concerned about our youth, it is clear to me that while some of our kids are facing real problems, our kids are not "bad". Indeed, from my perspective, we have a lot to learn from our youth.
As a developmental psychologist, I am interested in understanding why some kids experience more difficulties than others in adolescence. However, I am also interested in understanding why some kids who by all accounts SHOULD be experiencing problems seem to be doing well. For me, then, it is important to not just focus on the problems our kids our facing. It is just as important to understand the successes they experience as well.
Clearly, some youth experience difficulties during their adolescent years but it is impossible to put all of these kids in the same category. Some of these youth may not have had any difficulties earlier in their lives and most of these youth are likely to learn from their difficulties. Indeed, for these kids, negative experiences in adolescence may help them to develop the maturity and emotional resources required to deal with the types of difficulties that we all experience now and then as adults. In contrast to the kids who's troubles emerge in adolescence, other youth are likely to have given warning signals long before the onset of puberty. These kids are often identified by professionals as "at-risk" kids. For some of these kids, the problems they experience are chronic and predict continued problems later in life. However, for other at-risk kids, adolescence may provide a window of opportunity for change and, if given the opportunity to escape the categorization of "bad kid", we will see them blossom into wonderful, creative, productive adults who make significant contributions to our community.
I have two goals for the series of articles to appear on this site. The first goal is to help clarify the types of challenges and opportunities adolescence provides for individual growth and development. In the columns to follow, I will examine a number of issues of interest to parents, teachers, to adolescents, and, hopefully, all members of our community. We will examine issues such as the parent-child relationship, friendship and peer relations, the impact of work on individual development, the onset of romantic relationships, identity formation, self-esteem and body image, community engagement, and conflict. Hopefully, these articles will be used as a springboard for discussion among parents, between parents and teachers, and between adults and youth.
The second goal I have for this series of articles is to clarify my role as a developmental psychologist. This goal relates to the "get outta my head" response when I tell people what I do. As a developmental psychologist, I'm concerned with human functioning and feelings of well-being. However, I do not analyse people nor do I provide individuals with instructions on how to better live their lives (except, perhaps, as a friend with other friends). That is the domain of "clinical psychology". My research is not directly applied in that I do not study the effectiveness of various types of intervention programs or compare different groups of kids who may be receiving treatment for some type of disorder. Rather, my research is basic in that I examine the pathways to development in everyday, average kids....kids like you...kids like yours. The types of questions I'm interested in focus on understanding the challenges and opportunities of adolescence. Are they the same for different types of kids? What can we realistically expect from kids of different ages? Without this type of basic information, how do we know when someone really needs help? If we don't know how kids in general manage this period of development then how do we know when kids are in trouble and need help? This type of basic, developmental research provides the foundation for establishing prevention and intervention programs. It helps teachers understand their students better and it helps parents to be better prepared for this phase of their child's development.
Currently, I am conducting research in several elementary and high schools in Saskatoon. This type of research is essential to fully understand this fascinating stage of life. So, when you get a letter from me asking for your child's participation in my study, take a moment to think about the potential contribution that your child's participation can make to helping us better understand adolescent development. Encourage your son or daughter to take the time to participate. This is their opportunity to show the world the amazing diversity that exists within our youth today. Moreover, it is their opportunity to help us challenge the myths of adolescence that pervade our society and to help us be in a better position to come to the aid of those kids who really need it.
