Adolescent Realities in a Changing World

Although all countries, cultures and traditions want what is best for their young generations, adolescence may be viewed differently from one community or culture to the next. Still, the psychosocial, emotional and biological changes that characterize this stage of life are widely shared. During this critical stage of life, personality and self-identity become more defined. Parents can have an enormous role in guiding their children. Adolescence is also a time for expanding relationships and friendships outside the family circle, for establishing greater autonomy, and for intensified development of interpersonal and social skills.

How young people develop their understanding of the biological, emotional and social changes they experience in adolescence is closely related to their sense of social identity and purpose, self-perception and self-esteem, thoughts and feelings, and capacity to establish caring relationships and intimacy with others. It is all the more important for young people to receive the guidance and support they need considering that worldwide, most people become sexually active during this stage of life, whether within or outside of marriage.

A time of learning and exploration

Adolescents are resilient and resourceful individuals, with their own views and evolving decision-making capacities. Adolescence is a time of learning and exploring, and can be a good time to establish healthy attitudes and behaviours for life. For many, it is also a time when job skills may be developed and economic life begins, although often in underpaid, unsafe or exploitative conditions.

Adolescence is also a time when risks of sexual and other forms of abuse, exploitation and violence are high; and when the drive for autonomy and self-definition often means a reduced reliance on parents or other adults as trusted sources of guidance and support. This is especially true when it comes to sensitive areas such as sexual and reproductive health and gender relations. Without guidance, young people may suffer violence and abuse, be exploited, or find themselves in otherwise unsafe circumstances, or become sexually active without the knowledge and means they need to avoid unintended consequences.

Facing gender-based norms and restrictions

The onset of puberty often implies a change in the way girls and boys are perceived and treated by their parents, peers, extended family and community. These changes often mean marked differences in the opportunities and constraints girls and boys face, based on their gender.

The imposition of strict gender norms can be especially dramatic (and harmful) for girls who may find their freedom of movement, educational and personal development, security, and life choices compromised. In many countries girls will be taught to be submissive to male authority and see their social worth defined by if and whom they marry, and the children they have; while boys will face similar pressures in terms of having to prove their masculinity and virility.

Adolescents in the midst of globalization

Adolescents have been traditionally ignored by public sector programmes and budgets, which tend to focus on children (under 10), and then on adults. Investing in adolescents is an opportunity to ensure that the earlier investments made in childhood come to fruition for the benefit of national development. Otherwise, accomplishments in improved child educational and health status may be undermined. Since the 1990s, many international agreements and forums have brought more attention to the needs of adolescents and young people.

Because young people today are typically entering puberty at a younger age and getting married later than in the past, they face a longer period between sexual maturity and marriage. Many young people are raised in the age of global telecommunications and globalization of a ‘youth culture' spread through the mass media. They often get information, including about sexuality and health, from sources outside of the family, whereas once the family was the traditional institution for imparting social norms about these issues.

Young people tend to have higher levels of educational attainment than in the past, but they also require better education and more skills to compete in today's world, and overcome social exclusion and poverty. Despite the historical progress in school enrolment, millions of adolescents are outside the school system, or forced to abandon their schooling due to poverty or HIV/AIDS, among other reasons.

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