"Requirements For Healthy Development of Adolescent Youth" was written about adolescent youth in the 1970's. In this article adolescent youth were defined in three stages:
Early Adolescent 12 -15 years
Middle Adolescent 15 - 18 years
Late Adolescent 18 - 22 years
Several important cultural characteristics of the adolescent teen in the United States were discussed in this article. I felt that the attribute of change is still particularly relevant to the culture of adolescents in our modern society. "Attitudes of change come in all colors of the rainbow. Some people embrace change simply for the sake of change. Others fight it persistently." I find that statement to be true with the adolescents of the 21st Century. Some people thrive on change while others have difficulty adjusting to change in their lives.
Konopka described adolescence as the “Age of Commitment”. She stated that it is the move into the” true interdependence of men.” Frequently depicted in literature is the struggle between dependency and independence. These expressions display for us the entrance into interdependence. I feel we do a better job today of providing our children with positive ways in which to grow and develop and not just simply endure the adolescent years.
This article was published in ADOLESCENCE, Volume VIII Number 31, Fall 1973, pp. 1-26.
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