Adolescent Sexual Development

juvenile bestrider cozy DevelopmentKari SvendsenAbstractThis paper touches on the importance of providing common aw beness and education to our educators, p arnts, and savants so that we reduce the number of girls that gull oncoming puberty. It in addition digests information on how we brook indoctrinate proves to be accessory during adolescents, which tummy be a ticklish and confusing m for students, which is to a greater extent important than ever. With the improvement of internal education programs taught in our discipline systems, pargonnts and teachers posterior adequately prepargon students for the ostracize effects of go throughledgeable military action out front it is too late. The numbers of adolescents savory in finish upual activity, STIs and teenaged pregnancies keep be reduced. Adolescent inner DevelopmentSexual maturation and product spurts some(prenominal) accompany puberty and fucking be a difficult and confusing magazine for adolescen ts, especi e truly last(predicate)y with children hitting puberty at an former succession than ever. It is essential that adolescents scram the support of their teachers, parents, and physicians at this transitional time in their lives. Even though informal education is taught in our school systems, these students are inadequately prepared and a staggering number of students are exposed to versedly transmitted infections and teen pregnancy non to commendation the emotional distress that adolescents depart endure.It takes categorys for the average adolescents body to go through the process of informal maturation. The on sterilize of puberty is non triggered by any particular event, alone rather a multitude of things such as stress, genetics, nutrition and diet as advantageously as the nitty-gritty of body fat to name a few (Gentry, p. 1, 2002). There is in like manner a growth spurt that is brought on by puberty when the osseous system grows rapidly. This can occur i n girls go awaying at age 10 and boy at age 10.5 this growth spurt unremarkably ends just about 19 for girls and 20 for boys (Headlee, p. 7, 2010). Hands legs and feet are first and past the growth spurt win hit the torso in girls, the sexual horm one and entirely(a) bequeath attribute to broader hips. These growths spurts can be an awkward time for adolescent children as their bodies are evening out.Some researchers interpret in that respect is no away ca implement for early blast puberty, while separates say different. Some researchers permit linked obesity as a impart factor (Parent, p. 670, 2003). The inactivity and poor diet of our juvenility is putting them at run a risk for a higher percentage of body fat which leads to ill-timed puberty. Environmental chemical hold also been linked to an onset of puberty. Chemicals are added to almost all commercial cleaning products to include shampoo, teething toys, bottles. Chemicals can also be in the diet that adole scents eat. Another onset of puberty can be linked to the absence of a girls father researchers befuddle shown that the lifelong the girls has been away(predicate) from her father the earlier she will start her first menstrual cycle (Parent, p. 671, 2003).Research findings show that girls who are ill-prepared for the physical and emotional changes brought on by puberty will have the most difficult time (Gentry, p. 1, 2002). This means that providing adolescents a stable and boost environment with family, teachers, and physicians is significant. Beth Ross, Director of student services at Rockdale County School, expresses her concern of parent and teacher involvement after uncovering a syphilis outbreak in her school system.Rockdale County is a small, close-knit community, made up of rich families in a desirable part of Atlanta. Here, at least 19 females and 4 males were part of the syphilis outbreak (Ross, 1999). Through interviews and investigations it was learned that at the center of the outbreak were a group of novel girls that were no older than 16 (Ross, 1999). The sexual activity would sometimes be accompanied with the use of drugs and alcohol, and the sexual interactions were with slightly older boys. These interactions would take place at one of the girls home when her parents were not in the house. These girls not only had sex with each other but also with all of the other boys in an open and communal environment.Beth Ross has been a counselor for over 16 eld and says that the needs of children into todays world are the uniform as 16 years ago when she started they have not changed (Ross, 1999). These children have the same needs, the only thing that has changed is that both sets of parents are now work and have rick too busy (Ross, 1999). She also points out that the young girls, who are at such shockingly young ages, that are sexually progressive and it stems from being asked as well as needing to feel love and wanted. This comes from something lacking in the childhood for them to desire to break sexually active at such a young age. She mentions that these students are lacking limits and anatomical structure in their lives, lack of parents being there for them to say this is how far you go and what is acceptable. Sixteen years ago parents were to a greater extent than adamant about what children were and were not al humbleded to do so there was no question in their consciousness what their limits were. Some parents say that they did not like the way they were raised and that they would never treat their child the way they were treated, but this is when the structure they hated as a child goes out of the window and where rebellion begins. Rules and structure are crucial to children.After the revue interview was conducted at Rockdale County, some 6-12 months later, a few of the girls were inactive sexually active and also still apply drugs. There were just a few of the girls that said they were no longer se xually active due to the stricter rules and supervision enforced by their parents. The girls interviewed all seemed to agree that there was still a lack of conversation with their parents and that no real action had been taken since the outbreak occurred. By the end of the fol down(p)-up interviews and investigation 8 of the over 20 girls were pregnant (Ross, 1999).An extensive hear has been conducted by Selma N. Caal, in 2008, on inquisitive sexual deportment. Caal reported that spring chicken with highly cohesive families and low equal norms reported low risk sexual behavior however, youth with highly cohesive families and high peer norms reported high risk sex (Caal, 2008). callowness coming from low cohesive families did not base their sexuality on their peers. If youth comprehend that the peers were okay with and engaging in sexual behavior then they were more likely to be sexually active themselves (Caal, 2008).During adolescence teens try to separate from their parent s and become closer to their peers, so parental communication regarding sexual behavior is crucial to the youths sexual activity. The more time that parents spend away from their children, the more room for risky behavior. In a time when triple parents are working full-time jobs is it harder than ever to stay in communication and enforce rules.Age also plays a factor with risky sexual behavior as older youth were more likely for this behavior, peradventure because of their sexual maturity level (Caal, 2008). Also media plays a very real role in adolescent sexual behavior as they are exposed to it incessantly, and can send messages that wild sexual behavior is welcomed and accepted.The age of youth engaging in sexual activity drops each year and is a great concern which proves that our youth should be demote improve and monitored not only at home but also in the school system. The numbers of high-risk sexual behavior adolescents could be significantly reduced by educating our youth and holding them more accountable. Advocate for Youth reports the potence of sexual education in schools has contributed to lower numbers in teen pregnancy, lower numbers of youth engaging in unprotected sex, and also delayed initiation of sexual behavior altogether (McKeon, 2006).Sexual education seems to be failing as a whole, as there are 1 million mess a day who train a sexually transmitted infection (STI) (WHO, 2013). We are failing our youth and our world at a rate of 30 million people a month, 360 million people a year (WHO, 2013). Our adolescents account for close half of these numbers. STIs are causing major infertility problems and in some cases even death. They are also costing billions of dollars annually.Unprotected sex and teen birth is still a problem however, we are mournful in the right direction as a 9 percent drop was recorded from 2009-2010 (Hamilton Ventura, 2012). This puts us at a record low rate of 34.3 births per 1000 girls between the ages of 1 5-19 (Hamilton Ventura, 2012). Although numbers are lowering, this is a still a major concern for both mother and child as they are rarely able to financially support themselves and cost the familiar 10.9 billion dollars annually (Hamilton Ventura, 2012).These staggering numbers can change if we start providing The Development Assets, created by the Search Institute, to our youth this is a guarantee. These assets are 40 research-based encouraging qualities that affect adolescent development. By providing them to our youth, we are helping them to become caring, responsible, and productive adults. These assets have be proven to work and are promptly becoming the most positive youth development in the get together States and globally.All across the world and now in other countries it is probable the positive affect that the assets have been for all cultural and socioeconomic groups (Institute, 2007). Also, high-risk behavior is better predicted by the level of developmental Asset s one has, than their family, resources, or location. However, like with Rockdale County, most of our adolescents will have little than 40 Assets (Institute, 2007).The Developmental Assets include things such as family support, positive family communication, and service to others as well as integrity, honesty, and restraint to name a few. These assets are a stepping nether region and a guideline for parents. They can especially be used in a busy lifestyle with both parents working full-time jobs. This checklist allows no excuses for parents who are at a loss and do not cognize what to do with their child. It also teaches parents and teachers how to hold the children responsible and how to discipline the children instead of allowing their actions to continue.These assets can be appropriately used from the time they are 3 years old through adolescence, and would help in never visual perception state of affairs like Rockdale County arise. The more Developmental Assets that a person is exposed to the more likely they are to thrive and be successful. Researchers show that parents can set their children up for a bright future and almost guarantee that they will not be involved in high-risk behavior such as drug and alcohol use, sexual activity and drug use, by providing more assets to their child (Institute, 2007). When our adolescents have more assets they are more diverse, have better opportunities and less likely to become involved in high-risk behaviors.There are also a few Developmental Assets that can possibly help our children to prolong their puberty. One external asset of mandate is safety, which can be considered as the normal external world but also internal. Parents are responsible for what their children use as far as cleaning products and the food they eat, which both contain chemicals and can increase onset puberty. It is the parents state to provide safe and desirable products and food for their children. This also leads to obesity, as it can p romote onset maturation.Another external asset is constructive use of time this means that children should participate in weekly sports club or organization within the school or community. By keeping our children active there will be less room for obesity. Another contribution to onset maturation was the absentee father, which is also cover in the assets in the support section it states that family should provide children with a constant loving and supporting relationship. Some reasons for an absent father cannot always be avoided however, providing the childs father that just chooses to be absent may be swayed if he were introduced to the determent it would cause his daughter. Again, following the Developmental Assets will not only allow us to prolong puberty in girls but also allow us to provide a promising future for our children. Before researching and learning more about sexual behavior in our youth I would have said that if there were sexual education classes in our schools that they should be kept to a minimum and not go into much detail on the topic, this is because of how I grew up. As a family and a school we were not open about our sexuality at all, nor did we have sexual education in our school system. And I personally, did not engage in high-risk sexual behavior nor did I know it was a concern. This could be contributed to my own Developmental Assets that my parents provided me with as there were very few, if any, that I was not given.My views have changed drastically on the need for better and more thorough sexual education programs in our schools after seeing the drastic change in numbers of teen pregnancy and STIs. We have to prevent the age of youth engaging in sexual activity dropping each year it is a great concern and our responsibility to explicate them in schools. We should provide the parents and teachers education classes addressing these issues as they may not have been educated themselves. Schools should make information more avail able to parents and by chance they will see the importance of this issue. Brochures that address concerns and causes for onset puberty would be beneficial to parents, and also providing information to parents at PTO meetings, and other meetings when they already have the parents attention. Our schools are concerned with meetings about budgets and addressing dejeuner programs and ignoring important issues such as sexual development. It is one thing to teach our students, but we must also teach their parents.Advocate for Youth reports the effectiveness of sexual education in schools has contributed to lower numbers in teen pregnancy, lower numbers of youth engaging in unprotected sex, and also delayed initiation of sexual behavior altogether (McKeon, 2006). I calculate this proves that sexual education in our schools without a doubt needed.Schools can provide sexual development information at correct ages instead of local news and radiocommunication stations trying to stop the sp read of sexual activity and STIs. I know now just riding in the car with my daughter in the middle of the day listening to the radio with my daughter, there are condom commercials. She is 7 years old and should not be exposed to that for many years to come. I think the meshwork and television are far worse and if we are not around to monitor our children from a young age then they will be more likely to partake in these kinds of activities. School is the place to educate our children where they can ask questions and learn from adults, not just assuming on their own and among their peers.We can also offer students focussing and behavioral interventions, hopefully before, but especially after children like Rockdale County, as this would provide both parents and students to find out the underlying cause for wanting to engage in sexual activity. If counseling and treatment were more readily available student would not continue to engage in inappropriate behavior and quite a possibly be prevented from becoming teen parents as we also axiom with the Rockdale county students.These counseling sessions and treatments can be a more intense variate of the sexual education classes in our schools that can provide students who are already sexually active and those who want to become sexually active. They can provide both pre as well as post STI test counseling so that teens can recognize symptoms of these infections, be encouraged to let their match know, and not go untreated. Also, counseling and intervention should use condom promotion to influence students to practice safe sex and lower the risk of teen pregnancy.By providing public awareness and education to our educators, parents, and students we reduce the number of girls that have onset puberty. Parents being taught to be supportive during adolescents, which can be a difficult and confusing time for students, is more important than ever. With the improvement of sexual education programs taught in our school sy stems, parents and teachers can adequately prepare students for the negative effects of sexual activity before it is too late. The numbers of adolescents engaging in sexual activity, STIs and teen pregnancies can be reduced.ReferencesCaal, Selma M. (2008) Adolescent Sexual Development Contextualizing a Cognitive Process in the Decision to pledge in Protective or Risky Sexual Behavior. George Mason University.UMI. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. http//denhamlab.gmu.edu/Theses and Dissertations PDFs/Caal2008.pdf.CDC. (2011). Effective HIV and STD Prevention Programs for Youth.Sexual Behaviors.http//www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/sexualbehaviors/effective_programs.htmGentry, J. (2002). Developing Assests. Washington American Physcological Assosication.Hamilton, B., Ventura, S. (2012). NCHS information Brief. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 18, 2013, from http//www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db89.htmHeadlee, K. (2010). Growth and Development, Ages 13 to 17What You Need to Know. Developing Adolescents, 1, 7. Retrieved December 16, 2013, from http//lee.ifas.ufl.edu/FCS/FCSPubs/Fact_Sheets/Growth_and_Development_13-17.pdfMcKeon, B. (2006). Effective Sex Education. Advocates for Youth. Retrieved December 19, 2013, from http//www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications450Parent, A. (2003). The clock Of Normal Puberty And The Age Limits Of Sexual Precocity Variations Around The World, profane Trends, And Changes After Migration. Endocrine Reviews, 24(5), 668-671.Parke, R. D. Gauvain, M. (2009).Child psychology A contemporary viewpoint(7th ed.). Boston McGraw-Hill.Ross, B. (1999). The disjointed Children of Rockdale County. PBS. Retrieved December 21, 2013, from http//www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/georgia/interviews/beth.htmlInstitute. 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