The Adolescent as a Whole

By Anna Seidman and John Patterson
From Kidding Around? Be Serious! A Commitment to Safe Service Opportunities for Young People

Adolescents learn and develop at different rates. They can be emotionally unstable. They can act impulsively. They differ from one another and even from themselves from moment to moment. In short, these young people often seem maddeningly unpredictable. The changes, shifts, and unpredictability of adolescence confound adults and require risk management strategies that differ from those used for children or adults.

A visit to a hypothetical group of high school students will help to illustrate some of the characteristics of teenagers. In one classroom, several 15 and 16-year-olds sit at their desks working at widely varying academic levels. Some are more attentive than others. A few squirm in their seats, repeatedly looking at the clock.

Many teenagers can sit for long periods at desks tackling complex subjects like geometry, computer science, biology, and poetry. Other teens show clear aptitudes for various vocations. Some work well with their hands or show interest in the way things work. Some appear clearly disinterested in everything that has to do with academics, and strain at their confinement within school walls. Many think only of dismissal when they can "hang out" with their friends, drive their cars, and make some spending money.

We leave the classroom and follow a group down to the cafeteria. Some split off into pairs. In their later teens, many adolescents spend more time with members of the opposite sex. Their peer groups begin to replace parents as the setter of norms. The attire worn by many of these teenagers shows that they often dress in the manner expected by their friends, and quite contrary to the wishes of their parents.

Some of the group heads for the bathrooms. In the rest rooms, several adolescents are smoking. Smoking on school grounds is illegal and can result in automatic suspension for these teenagers. Though they are aware of these facts, the teens have not fully thought out the consequences of getting caught.

An organization seeking the service of adolescent participants should take into account the characteristics of this age group. When working with adolescents, it is important to capitalize upon their individual interests. For example, those with academic interests can be assigned to tutoring duties. Place those who strain at academic requirements in positions requiring more physical participation, such as conservation projects or coaching a youth basketball team. Improper placement can lead to boredom and distraction, two elements that can cause carelessness, lack of commitment,and ultimately a potential injury.

Adult supervisors need to understand that teenagers (even some beyond the age of 18) have not fully developed the ability to evaluate situations and to make accurate judgments about risks. Teens tend to underestimate risks and overestimate their own abilities. As a result, they are often apt to accept a dare from a friend that can lead to dangerous risk-taking and illegal or self-destructive behavior. Some may try feats beyond their physical abilities without full appreciation of the danger. Adults working with this age group should nurture independence and at the same time set boundaries for acceptable behavior.

The Statistics
Adolescents need to experiment, to try adult behaviors and to challenge authority. Although most adolescent experimentation proves harmless, occasionally these activities lead to hazard for the teenager and/or for other members of the community. The following statistics, obtained in a 1993 study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reveal some of the areas in which adolescents tend to experiment.

• By the 12th grade, 67% of teenagers have had sexual intercourse, much without use of condoms, and many with several partners.
• By the 12th grade, 30% of students report the use of tobacco products.
• By the 12th grade, 87% of students have used alcohol.
• By the 12th grade, 40% of students report having used marijuana.
• Almost one in four high school students report having carried a weapon to school in the past month.

The suggestions and strategies in the following chapters will help your organization to plan for and to minimize the potential risk that may arise from such adolescent behaviors.

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Excerpted from Kidding Around? Be Serious! A Commitment to Safe Service Opportunities for Young People, by Anna Seidman and John Patterson, © 1996, Nonprofit Risk Management Center.

Found in the Energize website library at: http://www.energizeinc.com/art.html