The Formation of Sexual Identity in Adolescence

Posted by Waikhu

The Mental Change

Entering adolescence can be described in a sentence - simultaneous emotions of delight, energy, excitement, anticipation, insecurity, irritability, impulsiveness, moodiness, supersensitive, imaginative, secretive…truly a unique time in the child's development. To attempt to understand the often erratic behavior of the early adolescent, I'll begin by explaining a bit about the major shift in mental development that takes place. Up until now the child has been operating on a level of thinking which is guided by factual information; the way they think about their world is egocentric as it is based only on what is known or seen at that time. Suddenly there is a dramatic shift to what is called a formal operational level of thinking about what might be possible and can now decide on their own reality. This more mature mind can now look at the logical side of relationships and experience empathy for others. They have entered an age of identity crisis's, new issues about sexuality, extensive education on the topic of sex, peer pressures toward drugs and alcohol, and how to make it through adolescence safely. It is a combination of these things that causes the confusion, the chaos, and the sensitivity that they experience. The following topics covered in this section of the website will attempt to educate on issues related to sexuality, as well as offer intervention and support for all involved.

The Adolescent's View on Sexuality

However desperate the adolescent is to belong to a particular age group, it is extremely important to stress the special and unique qualities of the child to guide them into their own sexual identity, which is a constant struggle for them (Schave and Schave,1989).This is a time for a great need of external supports, but prepare for the child to look toward his peers to get him through this difficult adjustment period. Often depending on how the parents have communicated the subject of sex with the child, sexuality for the adolescent is a very private matter. Common behaviors and feelings may be:

• feelings of guilt, hopes and fears, unsure self esteem, inner conflicts involving acceptance or rejection by others.
• for the parents it is important to remember to talk about sexuality as a comfortable subject; talking openly from the beginning will help the child feel better about the topic and aide in their self confidence (Sorensen, 1973).

Adolescents vs. Parents

One of the biggest conflicts among teenagers and elders is the sudden need for the child to have self identity and personal freedom, or room to grow up. Often it will come so fast that parents are reluctant to let go; they have trouble seeing their child as having developed into a young adult and suddenly demanding personal space. The young adolescent will carefully note every physical change in their body; natural instinct is to experiment. Common conflicts among adolescent's and their parents are:

• Disagreements about sexual attitudes and behaviors often influence how well adolescents and parents in some families get along. Most have little communication with their parents about sex and feel they've been given little to no information about sex from them. By doing this, parents are risking their children's well being and good ethical development; there are many benefits to a freer expression of love within the home (Sorensen,1973).
• Much of adolescent's sexual identity will come straight from their peer group. Some beneficial suggestions for a parent are to monitor peer groups carefully (get to know their parents), be active in your teens life, activities, and schoolwork, and always stress good communication while guiding them toward a healthy ethical environment.

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