Young people are complex. At no other time in their lives will they face more physical, intellectual, and emotional changes than during adolescence. These changes may happen rapidly or slowly, early or late, all at once or over a period of years.
For those who work with these amazing young people, be aware. The individuals you are dealing with today are not the same as yesterday, not the same as they will be tomorrow, and certainly not the same as they will be next year. As a leader of these young people, how do you cope? The first step is to know and understand the kinds of changes that are taking place in young people and what the implications are for your work with them.
The following pages describe some of the changes young adolescents (ages 10-15 years) and older adolescents (ages 16-19 years) encounter in different areas of their lives. While there is no delineation between male and female development within each of the age levels, remember that there IS a great difference in the physical and intellectual areas, especially in young adolescents. Young women develop much faster than young men.
Remember, too, that any description of change in young people speaks in generalities. You, as the leader of your group, know best the development patterns of each person. Gaining a working knowledge from these pages, however, will help as you plan programs and cope with changing attitudes and behaviors.
Note: While the focus o f this handbook is on older adolescents, it is important to acknowledge that human development is uneven and relative. While in some areas a fourteen-year-old may share some of the characteristics of the older adolescent, it is also quite possible that a seventeen-year old may share some of the characteristics of a young adolescent. For this reason we are providing developmental information for both young and older adolescents.
© 1996 The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society PECUSAThis article is from Handbook for Ministries with Older Adolescents, a publication of the Ministries with Young People Cluster of the Episcopal Church Center, New York, NY. Permission is granted for congregational use and use by diocesan youth coordinators. You may order this resource from Episcopal Parish Services.
