Common problems or challenges faced by Indian adolescents

DR.HARPAL KAUR AUJLA (ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR)
AKAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION MASTUANA SAHIB SANGRUR(PB.)

PHYSICAL CHANGES
•Development of full breasts in girls can be awkward in the beginning. Girls may
start to feel conscious about their figure.
•Change of voice and appearance of facial hair in boys is perhaps the most
prominent change that takes place during adolescence.
•Acne is one of the major problems.
•Muscle gain sometimes leads to excessive body weight in teens.
•The growth of pubic hair in girls and boys.
•Body odor becomes evident.
•Girls start their periods.
•Broader shoulders and an enlarged Adam’s apple are secondary sexual
characteristics in boys, whereas broader hips and hair growth in the underarms

EMOTIONAL CHANGES AND PROBLEMS
Hormones affect your teenager not only physically but also emotionally.
•Adolescence is the age between adulthood and childhood. Teenagers are often confused about
their role and are torn between their responsibilities as growing adults and their desires as
children. It is a time when young people may experience an identity crisis as they grapple with
questions about who they are, who they want to be, and how they fit into the world around them.
•They tend to feel overly emotional (blame it on the hormones). Just about anything and
everything can make them happy, excited, mad or angry.
•Adolescent girls are vulnerable to crying.
•Mood swings are common among teenage boys and girls.
•Bodily changes result in self-consciousness.
•Children who hit puberty early may even feel weird.
•Feelings of inferiority or superiority may arise at this time.
•Adolescence is the age when sexual feelings arise in youngsters. Feelings and thoughts about
sex can trigger a sense of guilt.

BEHAVIORAL CHANGES
Overwhelming emotions can lead to impulsive behavior, which can be harmful to your child as
well as others. Mostly, it is just teen behavior that will last as long as their adolescence.
•Adolescence is the time when children develop and exercise their independence, which can
sometimes lead to rebellion. This can give rise to questioning the parents’ rules (seen as
argumentative) and standing up for what they believe is right (seen as stubbornness).
•Significant developmental change in the brain makes teens moody, tired and difficult to deal
with.
•The raging hormones in teenage boys can even push them to get into physical
confrontations. They would also want to listen to loud music.
•As a part of their new-found independence, adolescents may also want to try new things and
take risks, resulting in careless behavior.
•Sometimes, peer pressure and the need to ‘fit in’ can make them behave in a certain way or
develop certain habits that are hard to break.
•Your teen’s dressing, hairstyle, and sense of fashion also change, mostly to something that you
may not approve of.
•The most troubling behavior is perhaps your teen hanging out with problem children and
adapting to a dangerous lifestyle.
•Lying is one of the common teen behavioral issues. Teens may lie to avoid confrontation with
parents or out of fear.

SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE
Teenagers are vulnerable and can be easily swayed to the wrong side. Substance abuse is one of the
biggest problems that parents of adolescents around the world have to deal with.
•Peer influence is one of the significant factors that drive adolescents to take up smoking and drinking
or to do drugs.
•The tendency to take risk encourages most teens to try smoking or drinking even before they are of
legal age.
•What may start as a ‘thrill’, can become a habit if it remains unchecked.
•If there is somebody who smokes or drinks at home, they can become your teen’s role models.
•Poor self-esteem and the need to be ‘cool’ can push adolescents to smoke or drink.
•Easy access to substances like cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, and anabolic steroids may increase the
temptation to try illicit substances.
The 2019 statistics, as per The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, report 29.2% alcohol use,
21.7% marijuana use, 13.7% binge drinking, and 7.2% prescription opioid misuse. These figures
highlight the need for expansion of prevention programs and practices to effectively address teenage
substance abuse.

Problems faced
by Indian
adolescents

EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES
High school is not all about fashion, friends, and parties. Children also have a
lot of educational activities on their plate. Dr. Kremer opines, “Adolescents
often find academics challenging due to their struggle for independence during a
critical time of brain development. Adolescents often want to be independent and
do not want parents to remind them about completing their assignments. Their
brain is changing in a way that allows them to go from concrete to abstract
thinking, which can often cause them to make poor academic choices. Adolescents
often develop their set of values and unfortunately, some adolescents don’t make
academics a priority.”
•Academic pressure to excel in their studies and secure a spot in college can
be a significant source of stress for teenagers, often leading to moodiness.
•Juggling school work, extra curricular activities (must for college admissions)
and chores at home can be tiring.
•Distractions at school can result in poor academic performance, which will
add to the pressure.

HEALTH PROBLEMS
Adolescents are vulnerable emotionally and physically. Without proper nutrition and
healthcare, they are susceptible to illnesses. According to a 2015 WHO report, 1.3 million
adolescents died in 2015, a majority of them had preventable diseases.
•Teenagers have a hectic schedule as they hop from one activity to another with little
time to eat or rest properly. Unhealthy eating habits prevent them from getting the
nutrition they need.
•Consciousness about their body can lead to eating disorders, especially in girls.
Adolescent girls who worry about their weight and appearance can develop disorders
like anorexia or bulimia.
•Stress can also lead to loss of appetite and sleeplessness in young children.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
Research has revealed that around 50% of mental health disorders that adults
have, begin at the age of 14. In fact, one-third of adolescent deaths are
suicides triggered by depression . If your child is overly moody and is not
eating or sleeping at all, it is imperative you get professional help for them.
Anxiety and depression are prevalent among youth. Many children exhibit
signs and symptoms of depression early on, and their friends and peers may
be the first to notice it. A study suggests that 70% of teens reported that their
peers suffer from psychological problems such as anxiety and depression .

The most common mental health disorders observed during adolescence
are anxiety and mood disorders. Social phobias and panic disorders are
common among this age group. Girls may tend to have more vulnerability
to develop depressive disorders than boys .
•Teenagers may have self-esteem or confidence issues. The feelings of
inferiority or superiority often arise from their appearance, and acceptance
of their body – skin color, beauty, and figure.
•Poor performance in academics and low IQ can also demotivate them.
They develop the ‘I’m not good enough’ attitude towards life.
•Depression is one of the common psychological problems associated with
adolescence.
•The stress and pressure of adolescence can create anxiety related issues,
while mood swings can lead to conduct disorder or oppositional defiant
disorder.
•Eating disorders are also psychosomatic as they start with the adolescent
having a poor self-image and the need to change the way they look by any
means.

SOCIAL PROBLEMS – DATING AND RELATIONSHIPS
Attraction to the opposite sex begins during puberty, and for some teens, this can trigger
feelings of social anxiety. Adolescence is the time when their sexual or reproductive organs
start developing. At such a vulnerable time, it is but natural for teens to feel awkward in social
situations.
•Teenagers want to have an identity of their own. They tend to look up to role models at home
or outside.
•Adolescents also start thinking about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and question your take on
certain things.
•They need time to understand and get comfortable with their sexuality. Girls and boys start
experiencing ‘weird’ feelings towards the other sex and may not know what to do about it.
•For certain adolescents, their sexual identity can cause confusion, anxiety, and discrimination.
Due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, they may face harassment or ostracism,
which can be incredibly challenging to navigate.
•This is the time they start dating. Your adolescent may not be comfortable talking to you
about it and may go with little information or misinformation they have about it.
•Competition is another important aspect of a teenager’s social life. Your child may compete
with her peers in anything and everything. Their spirit of competition speaks a lot about their
perception of self – whether they have a positive self-esteem or a negative one.
•Sexual feelings and thoughts of sex may seem wrong to an adolescent, because of which they
may feel guilty.
•Their social circle expands during this time as they seem occupied interacting with friends
on social media sites, through their phone and outside.

SEXUAL HEALTH – UNPLANNED PREGNANCY AND
STIS
The development of secondary sexual
characteristics during adolescence gives rise to new
feelings in teenagers and pushes them to
experiment with their bodies.
•Adolescence is the time when teens experience
their first kiss, the intimate dance with their
‘boyfriend’ or ‘girlfriend’ and secret make out
sessions.
•Without proper guidance, teenagers may become
sexually active before they are ready. This could
result in unwanted pregnancies. Unwanted

PROBLEMS RELATED WITH INTENSIFICATION OF SEX-CONSCIOUSNESS:
The sudden awakening of sex instinct during adolescence results in
intensification of sex consciousness. Adolescents are curious to know about
sex related topics and are seeking answers to their innumerable doubts in
sexual matters. In our country most of the parents are illiterate and they do
not have scientific knowledge of sex problems. Moreover, our social values are
different from that of western countries, and hence parents hesitate to
discuss sex problems with their children. So the adolescents resort
socially unacceptable ways to quench their curiosity and to satisfy their sexual

ADJUSTMENT DIFFICULTIES WITH PARENTS:
Adolescents have a strong for freedom and independence. But
often it is obstructed by parental oppositions. In Indian context,
parental opposition may extend to such areas as choices of
friends, choice of education, recreational interests, dress, life-
style, our of going from and coming to the home, mode of
behaviour etc. The conflict between parental norms of
behaviour and peer group relationships often lead to friction in
the relationship and adolescents find it difficult to adjust to the
needs and demands of parents. Failure to adjust with the
parents may result in revolting against parents and authority

CHILDHOOD-ADULTHOOD CONFLICT:
In our society, the adolescent is considered as neither as a child nor as an adult. He has
to depend his parents and elders for his physical and emotional needs. But at the same
time he wants to hold independent views and opinions like an adult. He can very well
manage his own affairs and resist any unnecessary interference from the part of elders.
He begins to feel ashamed and embarrassed for the protection and care shown by the
parents. He is often treated in an ambiguous manner by parents and teachers.
Sometimes they expect him to behave as an adult and at other times, they treat him as
a child. The poor adolescent is caught between the role of the child and the adult, which
push him into confusion and tension

ADJUSTMENT DIFFICULTIES WITH SCHOOL DISCIPLINE :
Most of the adolescents face a great problem in adjusting with school discipline. Some
times schools expects too much from students who must submit to teachers who may be
tyrannical sometimes. Schools should not implant habits of unquestioning obedience that
inhibits the growth of young people towards true independence.
ADJUSTMENT DIFFICULTIES WITH COMMUNITY:
The adolescent is expected to find his place in a society marked by increasing social
isolation and rapid technological changes. This changing world make it difficult to anticipate
and plan for adolescent life. They have difficulty in adjusting their capacity to the demands
of the community. At this critical phase most adolescents react by withdrawing into a non-
demanding and non-working world of pleasure and satisfaction

THE IDEAL AND REALITY CONFLICTS:
It is during adolescence an adolescent move from being children to adults - perhaps the
single most important and grandest set of changes - others may not know how they feel
about themselves, but we should. The disparity between ideal and actual can produce
confusion and maladaptation, or this disparity can be a source of motivation and
aspiration for adolescents who are searching for identity. As the adolescence represents
a fascinating transitional period, marked by the emergence of new found cognitive
capacities and changing societal expectations. Parental Influences has much important
in this regard, which includes deliberate expression of affection, concern about the
adolescent's problems, harmony in the home, participation in family activities,
availability to give organized help when needed or asked for, setting clear and fair rules,
understanding peer influences on self-esteem, etc. can helps the adolescents to a
great extent

ADOLESCENT - PARENT ATTACHMENT:
Conflict between adolescents and parents itself is nota sign of poor
relationship quality, but it is the result of the rapid neurological, cognitive and
social changes of adolescence create a socio-cognitive dilemma for youth: that
is, maintaining connection with parents while exploring new social roles away
from the family and developing attachment relationships with peers and
romantic partners. It isa fact that the successful transition of adolescence is not
achieved through detachment from parents but a healthy transition to
autonomy and adulthood is facilitated by secure attachment and emotional
connectedness with parents. It is better understood by parents that,
adolescents who feel understood by their parents and trust their commitment
to the relationship, even in the face of conflict, confidently move forward
toward early adulthood. The ability of parents, teachers, the elders, etc. to
sustain a ‘goal-directed partnership’ with adolescents in their daily hood by all

ADDICTION TO CYBERSPACE
The advent of social media has changed the way we interact with
each other. It has affected teenage lifestyles the most.
•Your teen may seem to spend hours on phone, texting, talking or
simply playing.
•Adolescents addicted to the internet tend to have fewer friends and a
less active social life. They lead solitary lives and are happy browsing
the internet for hours.
•Addiction to cyberspace also cuts short their physical activities,
resulting in an unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle.
•Internet addiction adversely impacts academic performance.

AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE
Aggression is especially a concern with adolescent boys. Young boys start to
develop muscles, grow tall and have a coarser, manly voice. In addition to
that, they are moody and vulnerable and can let others get under their skin.
•Adolescent boys can get into fights at school.
•Worse, they could start bullying others, which is a major problem that
adolescent boys and girls have to deal with.
•Boys may fall into bad company and be drawn to acts of violence, vandalism,
and aggression. They could be easily swayed to own or use a firearm or a
weapon too.
•Impulse acts of violence can lead to serious consequences, including death.
According to the WHO report, interpersonal violence causes around 180
adolescent deaths around the world.
•Teenage girls are likely to suffer violence or aggression by a partner.

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Issues-of-Indian-Adolscent

Common problems or challenges faced by Indian adolescents

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