Describe a Development Assessment on a 14 Years Old Child Including the Expected Psychosocial Behaviors - Research Paper Example

Development Assessment on a 14 Years Old Child Before going into the discussion on development issues related to a 14 years old child, let us get a better understanding of what child development actually is. Cherry (n.d.) states, “Development describes the growth of humans throughout the lifespan, from conception to death”. Humans go through various stages of development throughout their lives, which include physical, emotional, social, intellectual, perpetual, psychological, and personality development.

All these stages of human development have their own significance and contribution in any individual’s life. Human development not only includes physical and mental aspects of growth but also includes psychosocial aspect of development. Psychosocial behaviors are actions or conduct of a person in a society. Social and psychological development of a person starts from the very first days of the journey of life. Development of psychosocial behaviors depends on how a person perceives other people and distinguishes between right and wrong.

In this paper, we will focus developmental issues of a 14 years old child in order to know which physical and psychosocial changes take place in the age of early adolescence of a person. Developmental Issues and Behavioral Development A 14 years old child is basically in the age of early adolescence. “Early adolescence is a time of many physical, mental, emotional, and social changes” (CDC, 2010). Let us discuss different types of physical, mental, and psychosocial changes that take place in the age of early adolescence.

Physical Changes in Children “During early adolescence, dramatic physical changes take place which includes growth spurts, reproductive system development, appearance of secondary sex characteristics, increase in muscle strength and redistribution of body weight” (Chinappi, 2010). In boys, the most common physical changes, which occur in early adolescence, are occurrence of facial and public hair. The voices of boys also become heavier as compared to before the age of adolescence. In girls, the most common physical changes include menstruation and growth of breasts.

These early physical changes in the bodies of children are the signs of step forward towards adulthood. Psychosocial Changes in Early Adolescence In the age of early adolescence, various psychosocial changes also take place along with physical changes in human body, such as, increase in the concern about dressing and body image and decrease in the level of affection towards parents. Children of this age want to become independent in order to gain some confidence and poise. Adolescents start shaping their roles in the society as they enter from childhood to the early stages of adulthood.

It is commonly observed that children of this age are more conscious about their clothes and hairstyles. They start trying different hairstyles not only to impress their friends but also to attract opposite gender. Children start taking more interest in social life in order to get knowledge of the outside world. Increased interaction with the outside world is one of the most prominent signs of social development of 14 years aged children. Such interactions expose new aspects of society to the children, such as, use of alcohol, drugs, and sex.

Another prominent psychosocial behavior associated with early adolescence is desire to be in relationship with the opposite gender. An increase in emotions and desire to have sex takes place in this age, which makes children act differently in the society. “Emotional storms of adolescence are driven by factors that are often beyond their control” (Hall, 2009). In most cases, children’s interest in opposite gender shifts from friendships to sexual relationships. A behavior, which is typically associated with the age of early adolescence, is increased concern about physical appearance.

Children of this age want to look different from other people of their age. They start taking good care of their bodies in order to impress other people. Girls are usually more concerned about their physical appearance as compared to boys. “Between the ages of thirteen and fifteen girls start to feel more self conscious about their body image” (Chinappi, 2010). Children of this age want to be thin and smart. For becoming smart and attractive, girls try different methods, such as, joining fitness gyms and using weight reduction pills, whereas boys usually join gyms for developing muscles and shaping their bodies.

Summing it up, the age of early adolescence is the most critical age in the process of behavioral development because, in this age, various physical, emotional, and psychological changes take place in the life of a person. It is the responsibility of parents and teachers to take proper care of behavioral development of children in the age of early adolescence in order to make them valuable and constructive parts of a society. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). Early Adolescence (12-14 years old).

Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/child/earlyadolescence.htm Cherry, K. (n.d.). What is Development?. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentecourse/f/dev_faq.htm Chinappi, J. (2010). Psychology and Development of Early Adolescence: Part 1. Retrieved from http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/3320.aspx Hall, R. (2009). Brain Development in Adolescence. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Brain-Development-in-Adolescence&id=3282849