Question

How is adolescence different from childhood?

Answer 1

Hint: Adulthood begins once the period of adolescence is over. The individual is considered to be capable of making all decisions related to his or her life.

Complete Answer:
- The development of a human being goes through several different physical, chemical, and emotional processes. Very simply, childhood starts with infancy, where in the first year a child is known as an infant, after that, from year two onwards, the child is a toddler for the next years. Childhood extends up to puberty.
- Puberty can hit at any age, on average it occurs around age 11-12 years, but can even start as early as 8 years, or later in the mid-teens. Girls tend to enter puberty a couple of years before boys. Once puberty is over, the individual is considered to be an adult.
- The period of transition from being a child to becoming an adult is what is known as adolescence. During this time, the individual undergoes several developmental changes, triggered by various hormones being released: testosterone for boys and oestrogen for girls.
- The body develops primary and secondary sexual characteristics and generally there is a growth spurt. Mentally as well, individuals develop more complicated processes of thinking, going beyond what they can see in the here and now, and developing a more abstract thought process.

Note: As adolescents tend to be going through a lot of emotional turmoil, dealing with all the physical changes in their bodies and the changing levels of hormones, they may struggle with developing their identity as individuals.