How Parents Can Help Their Teenager Form a Positive Self-Identity

What Is Self-Concept and How Does It Form? Self-concept is the image that we have of ourselves. How exactly does this self-image form and change over time? This image develops in a number of ways but is particularly influenced by our interactions with important people in our lives. Adolescent Identity Development: What to Expect in Teens Adolescent Identity Development: The Factors of Change Among the profound and exciting changes taking place in adolescence is the process of self-discovery. Our teens are working to figure out who they are, making adolescent identity development a central feature of teen life. Young people’s identities are shaped by lots of factors — family, cultural and societal expectations, experiences with institutions like school and the media, and friends. Young people also take active steps and make choices that shape their identity. They select the environments and people they want to be around.

Adolescent Identity Development: What to Expect in Teens Adolescent Identity Development: The Factors of Change Among the profound and exciting changes taking place in adolescence is the process of self-discovery. Our teens are working to figure out who they are, making adolescent identity development a central feature of teen life. Young people’s identities are shaped by lots of factors — family, cultural and societal expectations, experiences with institutions like school and the media, and friends. What is typical adolescent behavior? Adolescents have the reputation for being surly, uncommunicative, moody, argumentative and flippant - sometimes all at the same time! These behaviors, when exhibited from time to time, may be normal for teens because being a teen is tough. So you may want to understand the typical underlying causes that might be leading to these less attractive teen traits. First off, your teen is going to try to gain some independence, which can lead to challenges to parental or school authority. Second, your teen is having a bit of an identity crisis as he/she also tries to figure out who he/she wants to be. Even more importantly, you should realize that your teen is terribly worried he/she might not measure up.

Adolescent Identity Development - Adolescence - ACT for Youth The development of a strong and stable sense of self is widely considered to be one of the central tasks of adolescence [1]. Despite the fact that identity development occurs throughout one's lifetime, adolescence is the first time that individuals begin to think about how our identity may affect our lives [2]. During adolescence, we are much more self-conscious about our changing identities than at any other stage in our lives [3]. Visit Toolkit: Identity Development for resources. Learn more about Adolescent Development. What is Identity?

Identity Moratorium in Tweens and Teens An identity moratorium is one step in the process of finding a sense of self. It is a period of active searching for one's occupational, religious, ethnic, or another form of identity to determine who they really are. It is an identity crisis as part of the quest of teens and tweens to find themselves. What a Crisis of Identity Looks Like Identity vs. Role Confusion in Erikson's Theory Identity versus confusion is the fifth stage of ego according to psychologist Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. This stage occurs during adolescence between the ages of approximately 12 and 18. During this stage, adolescents explore their independence and develop a sense of self. According to Erikson, people progress through a series of stages as they grow and change throughout life. During each stage, people face a developmental conflict that must be resolved to successfully develop the primary virtue of that stage.

Identity vs. Role Confusion in Erikson's Theory Identity versus confusion is the fifth stage of ego according to psychologist Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. This stage occurs during adolescence between the ages of approximately 12 and 18. During this stage, adolescents explore their independence and develop a sense of self. According to Erikson, people progress through a series of stages as they grow and change throughout life. During each stage, people face a developmental conflict that must be resolved to successfully develop the primary virtue of that stage. He was interested in how social interaction and relationships affect development and growth.

How to Support Your Teen’s Identity The main developmental task for young people is to figure out who they are and where they fit in in the world. Teenagers are learning how to be an adult and this transition can include becoming more independent, looking for new experiences, developing their values and exploring sexual identity and romantic relationships. While teenagers do rely heavily on peer approval, their parents’ opinions still carry weight well into adulthood. Adolescents in foster care may find this task especially difficult because of the added stress of not living with their biological family. As a foster parent you can support your teen’s identity as they transition into adulthood.

When Teenagers Ask "Who Am I?" One of the most important questions that teenagers grapple with during the time of adolescence is, “Who am I?” Then, as they are answering the question, they also have to decide, “Do I love who I am?” Self-esteem during adolescence, as we all know, can take a pretty substantial beating. I believe everyone, whether a teenager or not, really does have a deep need and desire to love who he or she is. Erik Erikson and Self-Identity - Child Development Theory: Adolescence (12-24) According to Erik Erikson, a prominent developmental theorist of the 1950's, youth must resolve two life "crises" during adolescence. Unlike many other developmental theorists of his era, Erikson's psychosocial theory of human development covers the entire lifespan, including adulthood. Erikson used the term "crisis" to describe a series of internal conflicts that are linked to developmental stages. According to Erikson's theory, the way a person resolves the crisis will determine their personal identity and future development. In this article we limit our discussion to the crises of adolescence but more complete information about Erikson's theory can be found in the Introduction to Child Development article.

Stages of Adolescence By: Brittany Allen, MD, FAAP & Helen Waterman, DO Adolescence is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood. It includes some big changes—to the body, and to the way a young person relates to the world. Who Am I?: The Big Identity Question of Adolesence The Big Question: Who Am I? Adolescence is a period of discovery and a time to shape identity. This phase, through which we all pass in our journey from childhood to adulthood, is filled with questions to be answered and meanings to be found. It is exciting beyond description and unsettling at its core. It is during the tween years that we begin to explore the fundamental question “Who am I?” It’s during the teen years that we (mistakenly) believe we must task ourselves with completing the answers.