Problems of Adolescence

Adolescence is the age of storm and stress. It is associated with many physiological and mental changes and is a time of great emotional upheaval. This is the age when the individual suddenly enters a new situation. These changes create problems of mental, social and emotional adjustment. The problems of adolescence are given below:

Mental Tension

Adolescence is the age when the development of sex organs reaches their mature size and the secondary sex characteristics, e.g. mensuration, the wet dream is observed due to hormonal development. These changes are unique experiences in their life which may be sometimes painful and life threatening. As it is a bridge between puberty and adulthood they become unable to adjust their youngsters as well as with the elders. Development of new interests, peer pressure, peer group, values, beliefs, social behavior and ambitions are seen somehow different than the established social behavior and trends. These differences may create mental tension in adolescence. Similarly, interest toward hetero- sex, new peer group, great emotional upheaval, and emotional instability are common observable characteristics of adolescence that may create mental tension and stress. This complexity creates mental tension and leads to dropout from the schools, discarding social norms, running away from home, drug addiction, suicidal tendency and other social crimes.

Imitation

Adolescence is a period of emotional instability. The feelings in adolescence develop in such a way that they want to survive only for present and do not see beyond this which leads to the behavior of imitation of hairstyle, eating, walking, clothing, etc. It is due to lack of farsightedness and pleasure seeking attitude they develop the habit of imitation. The adolescents want to develop their own identity by imitating other different things like hairstyle, Clothing, speech, manners, etc. Adolescents imitate most of the thing from celebrities like artists, singers, players and also from so called idols of advertisement. These kinds of imitations are not considered good from the point of view of sex, reproduction, mental and social health. Many adolescents have become the victims of bad habits like drug abuse, smoking, alcoholism, etc. due to habit of imitation.

Sexual abuse

As an individual enters adolescence, interests toward hetero- sexual desire increases naturally. These desires of the adolescence are so intense that they want to satisfy it at any cost and by any method. In this process, the adolescent may sometimes adopt unnatural means and results in sexual abuse. The sexual abuse like, eve testing, use of vulgar language, bluff call, and other means are common observable activities in adolescence that are harmful and destructive.

Early Marriage

Traditional Hindu society believes that parents can open the gateway to heaven if they celebrate the marriage of their daughter before her first mensuration . Some parents also think that they may adopt love marriage, they perform the marriage of their daughters unmarried till the late adolescence, and they may adopt love marriage which loses their prestige in the society. Therefore, with the fear of love marriage, they perform the marriage of their daughters at early immature age. Early marriage adversely affects health, education and other socio- psychological matters of the couple. Early marriage results in early pregnancy and it may cause death during delivery.

Peer pressure

An adolescence has to make many new adjustments to achieve the goal of life partner, among which increased influence of the peer group is important. Adolescents spend most of their time outside the home with members of the peer group. The friends and type of peer group would have a greater influence on adolescent attitude, speech, interest, appearance, and behavior. If the members of the peer group experiment with alcohol, drug, or tobacco, adolescents are likely to do the same. In such a case adolescents need proper guidance and counseling.