Common Concerns About Adolescent Development

Case Study
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Case Study
Adolescent development is a complex process that involves physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth. During this period, adolescents face various challenges, such as developing and maintaining positive relationships, managing their education and career choices, and forming a healthy identity. In addition, adolescents are exposed to many risks, such as drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues, and risky behaviours (Carballo et al., 2019). As such, it is essential for parents, teachers, and other professionals to be aware of the potential risks and to provide support for young people as they navigate through this critical period of development (Ciranka & van den Bos, 2021).
From a cognitive perspective, Steve's behaviour can be seen as reflecting Piaget's theory of cognitive development, specifically the stage of concrete operational thinking. In this stage, children are capable of taking in information from their environment, making decisions based on their understanding of the situation, and attempting to exert some control over their environment and their destiny (Huang, 2021). Steve's decision to collect money to pay for his friend's mother's medical bills could thus be seen as a sign of his attempts to make sense of his world and his place in it. However, his difficulty in making sound decisions and his lack of experience in dealing with difficult social situations may indicate that he has not yet achieved a more abstract level of cognitive development.
From a psychosocial perspective, the behaviour displayed by Steve can be interpreted as a reflection of Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory of development. According to this theory, adolescents must successfully resolve the identity crisis versus role confusion in order to develop a sense of competence, autonomy, and identity (Maree, 2021). In this case, it is likely that Steve's decision to collect money from his classmates is a coping mechanism to deal with his feelings of helplessness and insecurity, as well as a way to gain acceptance and belonging.
From a moral perspective, Steve's behaviour can be seen to indicate his lack of understanding of the impact of his actions on others. According to Kohlberg's theory of moral development, Steve is operating at the pre-conventional level, where decisions are made based on self-interest and without consideration for the moral implications of those decisions. His decision to take money from his classmates without their consent is a clear example of this: he has failed to consider the moral implications of his actions and does not appear to be guided by any moral values when making his decisions. This suggests that Steve is yet to develop a full appreciation of the importance of following one's moral compass when making decisions.
From a sociocultural perspective, the behaviour of Steve can be understood through the lens of Vygotsky's theory of social development, which states that a child's development is shaped by the social environment around them. According to Vygotsky, children learn by observing and imitating the behaviours of those around them and internalizing them (Huang, 2021). Steve's decision to collect...