Needs and Beahviours of Adolescents
According to Dr. Michael Cohen in his article Adolescent Sexual Activity as an Expression of Nonsexual Needs, “the task of adolescence is the development of an identity and the avoidance of identity confusion. ...This self-image is derived from messages and feedback that adolescents receive from their environment and from those in their social milieu," (page 325).
Dr. Cohen states what many teachers already know: teaching adolescents requires knowledge of their needs and behaviours in order to reach them academically.
The research in the above names article focuses on reasons why youth participate in sexual activity and the nonsexual reasoning behind it. These nonsexual reasons speak to the mindset of adolescents and the motivation behind their behaviours in general.
NEEDS and BEHAVIOURS
To summarize the findings of Dr. Cohen, below is a list of needs and behaviours of adolescents:
CREATING PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS
As an educator, the knowledge of the above list of needs and behaviours can be taken into the classroom and used by teachers to develop lesson planning around their students. The Ministry document Creating Pathways to Success stressed the importance of students knowledge base in order to be successful in their career and life. The document states, "Ontario’s education and career/life planning program has been designed to ensure that all students develop the capacity to achieve their personal goals for work and life, make successful transitions throughout life, and make positive contributions to their communities" (page 7). In order to do this successfully, students need to be able to learn. In order to be able to learn, educators need to understand how best to teach adolescents, which includes knowledge of their needs and behaviours.
Dr. Cohen states what many teachers already know: teaching adolescents requires knowledge of their needs and behaviours in order to reach them academically.
The research in the above names article focuses on reasons why youth participate in sexual activity and the nonsexual reasoning behind it. These nonsexual reasons speak to the mindset of adolescents and the motivation behind their behaviours in general.
NEEDS and BEHAVIOURS
To summarize the findings of Dr. Cohen, below is a list of needs and behaviours of adolescents:
- peer approval
- rebellion
- escape
- self-destruction
- search for love
- for affection
- trying to bolster self-esteem
- ease loneliness
- confine masculinity or femininity
- escape boredom or vent anger
CREATING PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS
As an educator, the knowledge of the above list of needs and behaviours can be taken into the classroom and used by teachers to develop lesson planning around their students. The Ministry document Creating Pathways to Success stressed the importance of students knowledge base in order to be successful in their career and life. The document states, "Ontario’s education and career/life planning program has been designed to ensure that all students develop the capacity to achieve their personal goals for work and life, make successful transitions throughout life, and make positive contributions to their communities" (page 7). In order to do this successfully, students need to be able to learn. In order to be able to learn, educators need to understand how best to teach adolescents, which includes knowledge of their needs and behaviours.
BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
The World Health Organization understands the unique development that the brain of the adolescent goes through. With this understanding comes a "sense of urgency" in addressing the health needs of adolescents throughout the world. While this video does focus on health, it does speak to the motivation of high risk behaviour that adolescents go through. |
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SOCIAL AWARENESS
Another artice that speaks to the needs and behaviours of adolescents through discovering their level of social awareness is Motivational Needs of Adolescent Volunteers written by Connie Schondel and Kathryn Boehm.
It outlines the reasons why adolescents volunteers. The main idea of the study was to discover how they could up the retention rate of student volunteers by discovering their motivations. They found that for the most part, adolescent volunteers participated for reasons others then helping the community.
The study discovered that the Catholic School Volunteers had three factors influencing their volunteering:
- identifies these adolescents desire to help others and to experience personal growth, reward and a sense of belonging
- shows that the adolescents valued recognition, admiration, and respect, and thanks from others
- indicates that the adolescents seemed to see themselves as alone or as loners, and their volunteer work as a means of belonging to a social group
As an educator, the knowledge that students lack in social awareness due to a focus on their peer group could alter the direction of their education. As discussed in the course content, often Problem-based Learning speaks to adolescents, they enjoy working through real life scenarios. This aids in their development of self, role in a group and can up their level of social awareness.
ASSISTANCE FOR ADOLESCENTS
Below is a video outlining an app that can aid students in selecting appropriate behaviour in social situations. While the video is geared towards children with special needs, it is also applicable to adolescents who are trying to figure out how they fit in to a social situation.
It is also a handy tool for behaviour management strategies for teachers.
It is also a handy tool for behaviour management strategies for teachers.
Page designed by Melissa McKeon
RESOURCES
Cohen, Michael W, MD. Adolescent Sexual Activity as an Expression of Nonsexual Needs. Pediatrics Annals; Jun 1995; 24, 6; ProQuest Education Journals pg. 324
https://owl.uwo.ca/portal/site/a1d3c4bd-43a6-4901-ac0e-41e08013c065/page/780df8ef-4c64-4518-a00a-77cee8984842
Intermediate Additional Basic Qualification, Course Content, Winter Session, 2015.
Ministry of Education. Creating Pathways to Success. 2013; http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/policy/cps/CreatingPathwaysSuccess.pdf
Schondel, Connie K;Boehm, Kathryn E. Motivational needs of adolescent volunteers Adolescence; Summer 2000; 35, 138; ProQuest Education Journals pg. 335 -344
https://owl.uwo.ca/portal/site/a1d3c4bd-43a6-4901-ac0e-41e08013c065/page/780df8ef-4c64-4518-a00a-77cee8984842
Videos taken from YouTube, retrieved March 2015.