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Adolescent Sexual Development
Between the ages of 13 and 17, most people will go through puberty and become sexually mature. This means that the adolescent is physically capable of having sexual intercourse and producing children, and this is the age when many people start to engage in romantic relationships for the first time. However, whether the adolescent chooses to be sexually intimate or not depends on a number of factors, including family attitudes, religious beliefs and education about sexually transmitted diseases, contraception and pregnancy. This is also the age when people usually become aware of their own sexual orientation.
Adolescent Mental Development
Adolescence is the stage in life when most people become independent from their parents and develop the ability to make reasoned decisions about their own lives. However, MRI scans of adolescent subjects have revealed that this ability develops over time. Younger adolescents displayed brain activity in the amygdala -- a part of the brain that has to do with intuitive reactions and fearful emotions -- during activities that were associated with the frontal lobe in older adolescents. The frontal lobe has to do with the use of rational thought, so it appears that the ability to apply reason to daily problems is something that develops in later adolescence, and may not be fully available to younger teens.
Erikson's Psychosocial Theory
In the influential "psychosocial" theory of human development created by psychologist Erik Erikson, adolescence is the fifth of eight stages in human life. In Erikson's theory, each stage is associated with a specific crisis through which each person must pass. Erikson associated the adolescent stage with the issue of identity versus role confusion. He saw the adolescent as being in a state of psychological crisis, trying to determine his own identity and role in the world. Erikson also saw this stage as being marked by intense curiosity about sexuality.
The Crisis of Adolescence
In Erikson's psychosocial theory of human development, everyone passes through eight stages, each of which is marked by a different crisis. If the crisis is resolved in a balanced way, the person moves on to the next stage with a particular personality strength or ability. If the crisis is resolved unsuccessfully, the person will develop one of two personality problems. At the adolescent stage, the crisis is related to issues of identity versus role confusion. If the adolescent focuses on identity too much, the result can be self-righteous fanaticism. If the adolescent gives in to role confusion, the result can be social alienation. If the adolescent succeeds in finding an inner balance, the result is the ability to have strong and loyal relationships and to find some meaningful way to contribute to the community.