Adolescent Psychology

This course looks at the major changes that take place during adolescence, covering physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. You will study moral development, sexuality, and the life crises that can arise during the teenage years, along with delinquency and crime. The course finishes by looking at the transition from adolescence into adulthood. Suitable for parents, youth workers and anyone studying psychology or working with young people.

Working with adolescents? Understand the adolescent mind with this distance learning course. Learn how adolescents think. Understand the theories behind characteristic behaviours. Study theories of human development, crime, moral and social development. Learn about physical, moral, emotional, intellectual and social development. Learn about the development of emotions and crisis, and much more with this great distance learning course. A course for anyone who wants to learn more about teenagers. When you understand how and why teens think the way they do, it becomes easier to comprehend and manage their behaviour. For adults who are well beyond their own adolescent experience, it can be difficult dealing with a child with relatively predictable behaviour coping with the changes that accompany adolescence. With this course you will gain a greater understanding of the influences on an adolescents behaviour and thereby improve your capacity to influence the young person you are dealing with. Studying Adolescent Psychology provides professional development for persons working in areas such as: Carers Foster carers Teachers Law enforcement Social workers Care workers Children and family workers It will also offer the benefit of greater knowledge for: Parents Coaches And anyone wanting to understand more about the adolescent mind. COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT Adolescent Psychology is a 100 hour course, available to start at any time. The course consists of 10 lessons: Lesson 1. Introduction Theories of Human Development What is adolescence? Piaget’s theory of Cognitive Development The stages of Piaget’s theories Moral development Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, stages Lesson 2. Life Crises Life crisis Problems Puberty Attachment theory Internalised and externalized problems Types of problems experienced by adolescents Lesson 3. Physical Development Puberty in females Puberty in males Hormones Physical activity Obesity Lesson 4. Intellectual Development Piaget’s formal operations stage School problems Lesson 5. Emotional Development Freud’s theories Emotional problems Teenagers and grief Eating problems Depression Emotional problems Typical childhood responses to grief Supporting a grieving child Lesson 6. Sexuality Acquisition of gender identity and social role identity Vicarious learning and sexual identity Gender dysphoria Curiosity Sex Sexual behaviour Masturbation Sexuality and nudity Answering questions Lesson 7. Social Development Family influence Types of parenting Denigration of parents Lesson 8. Moral Development Piaget’s theory of moral development Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning Lesson 9. Delinquency and Crime Juvenile delinquency Pathways to delinquency Gangs Crimes more likely in adolescence Behaviour problems Drugs, solvents and alcohol Child abuse Triggers of abuse Stranger abuse How to deal with deviance Lesson 10. Adolescents and the Transition to Adulthood Erikson’s later stages The transition to adulthood Each lesson is completed with an assignment for the student to complete and submit to the school for marking. Your tutor will make the assignment and return it to you with suggestions and comments, and if necessary, extra reading. LESSON AIMS Students studying Adolescent Psychology will undertake a variety of tasks in each lesson, and benefit from the learning aims for each of the lessons: Develop an understanding of the theories of child development in relation to adolescents. Develop an understanding of life crises in relation to adolescents. Develop an understanding of the physical changes that occur in puberty. Develop an understanding of the intellectual changes that occur in adolescence. Develop an understanding of the emotional development that occurs during adolescence. Develop an understanding of sexuality during adolescence Develop an understanding of the social development that occurs in adolescence. Develop an understanding of the theories of moral development in relation to teenagers. Consider the links between adolescence and delinquent activity such as crime. Develop an understanding of the changes that occur moving from adolescence to adulthood. Adolescence is a Period of Rapid Change As children mature their peers become more influential in their lives and their relationships with them evolve. Adolescents have to learn to deal with feelings of sexual attraction as their bodies become stimulated by hormones. They may be involved in teenage romances. They also learn to become more independent from their parents and this means changing social roles as they begin to work out who they are. According to the famous psychoanalyst, Erikson (1963) we pass through eight different stages of development from infancy to late adulthood and each presents us with a psychosocial conflict we must resolve in order to move forward successfully with our lives. During adolescence the conflict is between developing our identity and role confusion. In the pursuit of self-identity, adolescents test out different roles. In order to distinguish themselves from their parents, they may behave in opposite ways to their parents. For instance, if their parents prefer safe activities they may choose more risky ones. Failure during this stage can lead to confusion about one's identity or negative identity such as that of a juvenile delinquent. As adolescents shift from emotional support of parents to peers, they also have more freedom and it can become a stressful time for some. Although adolescence is often painted as a time of 'storm and stress' the literature would seem to suggest that it is only stressful for a minority. This minority may experience conflict and stress in their relationships with their parents and adults generally. Given that during this transition to adulthood adolescents identify with their peers, they become more influenced by their friends. If their friends engage in risky type behaviours or the peers they want to be accepted by do, they are more likely to act in the same way. Of course, overall adolescents are not all purveyors of bad behaviour. It is actually more likely that their friends will try to stop them from behaving poorly. Usually adolescents just develop ways of behaving that demarcate them from younger generations and adults. The interact using their own slang terms and dress in ways that define their groups. Why study Adolescent Psychology? You may work with teenagers in a professional capacity, perhaps as a youth worker, teacher or family counsellor. Others may take this course for more personal reasons, such as better understanding and managing troubled teens in their own family. Studying Adolescent Psychology will provide you with a rich foundation of knowledge that you can apply in real-life situations. If you are interested in learning more about teenagers and how they think and develop, then why not enrol today? You can start at any time and choose where and when you study with our online or eLearning study options. Do you want to know more? If you have any questions, or need help in deciding the right course for your aims and aspirations, please do get in touch with our expect Psychology and Counselling tutors today. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and will be happy to answer your questions and discuss different study options with you.