FEATURES NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

By Niranjan Prasad Upadhyay

THE term adolescence comes from the Latin word adolescers meaning, "to grow" or to maturity". It has a broader meaning that includes mental, emotional, social maturity as well as physical maturity. An eminent psychologist, Piaget highlights that adolescence is the age when the individual becomes integrated into the society of adults. It also includes very profound intellectual changes.

Changes

The period of adolescence, which varies from person to person, falls approximately between the ages 12 and 20 and encompasses both physiological and psychological changes. Physiological changes lead to sexual maturity and usually occur during the first several years of the period. This process of physical changes is known as puberty, and it generally takes place in girls between the ages of 8 and 14, and boys between the ages of 9 and 16. In puberty, the pituitary gland increases its production of gonadotropins, which in turn stimulate the production of estrogen in girls, and testosterone in boys. Estrogen and testosterone are responsible for breast development, hair growth on the face and body, and deepening voice. These physical changes vary significantly from person to person and from one culture to another.

Change include questioning of identity and sexual role; movement toward personal independence; and social changes. As adolescence progresses, many of the interests that were carried over from childhood wane and are replaced by more matured interests. Also, because of the greater responsibilities older adolescents are expected to assume more responsibility and the consequent decrease in time to spend as they wish, many older adolescents are forced to limit the range of their interests.

The Nepalese government has introduced "National Adolescent Health and Development Strategy" paper in 2000. In that paper, government stresses that young people of today are tomorrow's adults. The fertility behaviour of adolescents is a potential determining factor for future population growth in a country. It is of paramount importance that an environment be created and adequate support provided to enable adolescents to develop their full potential and enjoy a healthy and responsible adulthood. Adolescents comprise more than one fifth 22 per cent of total population. The government further highlights that nearly half of 15-19 year old adolescent girls and a fifth (20.6 per cent) of the adolescent boys aged are married. Nearly 40 per cent of Nepalese adolescents between 10-19 years age are illiterate. The gross enrolment rate decreases from 86 per cent at a primary education level to 11 per cent at lower secondary education levels respectively.

Adolescents in Nepal often encounter many problems, which include lack of awareness and knowledge about sexual and reproductive health, early marriage, early and frequent child bearing, unsafe abortion, STD/HIV AIDS, and substance abuse. These problems are often exacerbated by social problems such as poverty, illiteracy, child labour, gender discrimination, violence and abuses including girl trafficking and prostitution

National Planning Commission of Nepal highlights in the Ninth Plan (1997-2002) that youths should be treated as a most important group of the population. But efforts towards resolving their problems, fulfilling their needs and utilising their potentialities and specialties have not been satisfactory. The National Planning Commission further stresses that youths who are currently studying at the universities or have already graduated will be involved in the rural and community development programmes. This involvement will assist in covering such areas as development activities, environment, population health, sports, culture and tribal, women and youth development.

Adolescence in Western societies tends to be a period of rebellion against adult authority figures, often parents or school officials, in the search for personal identity. Many psychologists regard adolescence as a byproduct of social pressures specific to given societies, not as a unique period of biological turmoil. In the context of youth's overall development, the government remarks that youths as developed agents of the 21st century and they will be made capable of confronting the existing challenges like poverty, illiteracy, backwardness and superstitions.

The health of adolescents is linked to physical, psychological and social abilities that help to determine their behaviour. Healthy development of adolescents is dependent upon several complex factors: socioeconomic circumstances, the environment in which they live and grow, family life, community and peer relationship, available opportunities for education and employment and access to health information and service.

Psychologist, Elizabeth B.Hurlock (1997) remarks that building a moral code is difficult for adolescents because of inconsistencies in standards of right and wrong they encounter in daily life. These inconsistencies confuse them and hinder their progress in building a moral code that is not satisfactory to them but which leads to socially approved behaviour. By early adolescence, both boys and girls are well aware of their good and bad traits, and they appraise these in terms of similar traits in their friends. They are also well aware of the role personality plays in social relationship and thus are strongly motivated to improve their personalities
by reading books and articles on the subject.

The effects of external culture developed and expanded through mass media are also concentrated in the youths. In the course of imitating foreign culture recklessly, youths have fallen prey to confusion and directionless.

Gender expert, Lifschitz (1993) stresses that adolescents may use occupational stereotypes more than gender in evaluating male and female behaviours. When high schools students rated male and female characters in traditions and non-traditional occupations, the gender typing of the occupation had a greater effect on the personality traits.

Transition Period

In conclusion, the adolescent years are maturing years, and transitions are made from childhood to adulthood. This is a period when problems come up, such as how to study, how to build a career, getting along with peers and parents, and having enough money. This is the period of physical maturity. Psychologically, at this stage, an individual manages his or her problems fairly well and becomes a reasonably happy and well-adjusted person.

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