In early adolescence, preteens begin to shift their role from child to adolescent, trying to forge an identity separate from their family by establishing stronger relationships with peers. Perhaps you remember developing a close friendship at this age—another adolescent with whom you became extremely close (and from whom you may have moved apart later on). Such same-sex friendships are common by the eighth grade, and may develop into first same-sex sexual contacts as well (Diamond, 2000; Lawlis & Lewis, 1987). Supportive friendships during this time are crucial to the adolescent’s emotional wellbeing (B. B. Brown et al., 1997). The importance of a best friend grows as an adolescent matures. In fact, by the end of high school, both girls and boys rated their relationship with their best friend as their most important relationship (B. B. Brown et al., 1997; see Figure 8.2).
—— Mother
Girls Father Boys
5 Sibling 5
— Best friend
—— Boyfriend/
Girlfriend
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Grade
Relationship importance in adolescence
Figure 8.2
This graph shows the age differences in mean ratings of the importance of each type of relationship to one’s life during adolescence (1 = not at all important; 5 = extremely important).
Source: Brown, Dolcini, & Leventhal, "Transformations in peer relationships at adolescence,” p. 169, in Schulenberg et al. (Eds.), Health Risks and Developmental Transitions During Adolescence, 1997. Reprinted by permission of Cambridge University Press.
Early adolescence, as most of us remember, is filled with “cliques,” as people look to peers for validation and standards of behavior. Dating also often begins at this age, which drives many adolescents to become preoccupied with their bodily appearance and to experiment with different “looks.” Perhaps surprisingly, girls’ body images tend to improve as they progress through adolescence, whereas boys’ tend to worsen (Petrie, 2001; Whitsel-Anderson, 2002); this may be attributed to the positive image of the youthful female in our culture. On the other hand, girls’ general self-images tend to worsen as they grow older, whereas boys’ improve.
Young adolescents are often very concerned with body image at this time. Many young girls, in an attempt to achieve the perfect “model” figure, will endlessly diet, sometimes to the point of serious eating disorders. As we discussed in Chapter 5, today many young boys are also developing eating disorders and may turn to steroids in an attempt to achieve the athletic image so popular for boys at this age (B. B. Brown et al., 1997).
Middle Adolescence (Ages 14 to 16)
For heterosexual youths, the onset of puberty sparks an increasing interest in relationships with the other gender. The social environment also helps build this interest through school-sponsored dances and private, mixed-sex parties (B. B. Brown et al., 1997). Even the media sell images of teenagers in love. These messages are so powerful that even those adolescents who have not yet reached puberty or those who feel they might be gay or lesbian feel intense pressure to express interest in other-sex relationships (K. M. Cohen & Savin-Williams, 1996). Many adolescents increase the frequency of dating as they try to integrate sexuality into their growing capacity for adult-to-adult intimacy. This does not mean they will achieve the goal; rather, in various ways, they will “try on” different roles and different ways of being intimate with others (J. Johnson & Alford, 1987).
For the average middle adolescent, dating consists of going to movies, eating lunch together at the school cafeteria, or spending time together after school or on weekends.
During this period, couples develop longer-term and more exclusive relationships, and early sexual experimentation (deep kissing, fondling) may also begin. Many couples exchange rings, bracelets, necklaces, or some other token to signify exclusivity. These relationships are typically short lived. As a consequence of their involvement in romantic relationships, adolescent females tend to experience more depression than males (Joyner & Udry, 2000). This depression may account for some of the gender differences in adolescent depression levels.
Early dating is often quite informal, and double-dating is popular, as is going out in groups. Dating among the very poor, or those who drop out of school, is a very different experience than it is among the middle class. Adolescents who have been sexually abused, who are runaways, or who go to work rather than school often have needs more immediate than dating. They may not be surrounded by peers as are those adolescents
Personal Voices