During adolescence, preteens and teens going through puberty become increasingly conscious of their body image. They develop their sexual, gender, and ethnic identities. Peer relationships become increasingly important. School responsibilities increase and some teens get a job. Many teens experiment with drugs and alcohol. The teen years have unique stresses and pressures. Teens may not always let on—but parents and other caring adults play a vital role in providing support and helping teens achieve their best on their way to adulthood.
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Additional Resources
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Boys & Girls Town National Hotline
Boys Town is a beacon of hope for America’s children and families through its life-changing youth care and healthcare programs across the United States. Boys Town is now 90 years strong, founded by Father Edward Flanagan in 1917. -
TeenHealthFX.com
The goal of TeenHealthFX is to provide teens with an online resource for any and all of their questions regarding health, relationships, their body, and their sexuality. The professional staff who answer questions from our vast audience and provide oversight include clinical social workers, health educators, adolescent medicine physicians, pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, nutritionists, and many other health professionals.
Six things you should know about Adolescence
Teens with close relationships with their parents don’t experiment as much with drugs and risky sexual behaviors
Teens have an increased awareness of self, which can include feeling self-conscious and fluctuating high or low self-esteem
Teens who lack knowledge about sexual health are more likely to follow the crowd, engage in risky sexual behavior, and experience unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases
Identity formation can be especially challenging for teens who feel different from others because of their cultural, ethnic, gender, or sexual identity
Being able to develop sexual identity in a safe and accepting environment is linked to positive outcomes, including self-esteem and a healthy sense of self; parental support plays a crucial role
The use of marijuana and alcohol in high school has become common; the average age of first marijuana use is 14, and alcohol use can start before age 12
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