RO33 LIFE STAGES
TASK 1- ADOLESCENCE
Growth and development through Life Stages
In this assignment, I will be discussing and exploring the development of adolescence. The individual we will be looking at is Haroon (male), 19 years old in the United Kingdom.
To narrow down the key aspects, I will be using the acronym PIES to explore the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development which occurred between the ages of 10-18.
PHYSICAL
Haroon was and is quite a sporty person and played Football and track running. Haroon began consistently playing football at age 11, playing midfield in his school football club. At the age of 11, he was 4”6 and weighed 47kg. Although his height fell just short of the average height of an adolescent boy, he was 10kg overweight. Haroon was one of the most proficient students in his physical education class and had a diet which leaned towards more poultry and carbohydrate foods rather than vegetables or dairy products, because he disliked the taste of vegetables. This majorly impacted his physique and growth since his body was only receiving minimal nutrients in an imbalanced diet.
Haroon was also good at tennis, and sports activities needing smaller sized objects. He was able to maneuver the bat in his hands exceptionally well for his age and had quick reflexes. Haroon also had a passion for video games which involved excellent hand-eye coordination and enhanced his fine motor skills and multi-tasking abilities.
As he grew older to 12 years old, numerous more gaming and sports opportunities were opened to him. His body and stature remained much the same and he had much trouble during his teenage years in terms of growth, as he fell behind his peers. He joined numerous after school activities such as origami club and bowling. This greatly improved his accuracy, hand-eye-coordination, and ability to follow instructions. After looking at his preserved origami works, it is evident that his early works that the folds in the origami cranes were messy and inaccurate, but after he made his second, third and more he grew familiar with the steps.
Through the ages of 13 and 14, Haroon continued playing football and stopped playing tennis, as he wished to center his hobbies around this sport. His mother and father appointed him to join an extracurricular football club after school, and his skills in football were recognizably better. At around age 14, Haroon began to take vitamin and mineral supplements in substitution for actual foods rich in iron, vitamins, etc.
This improved his bone age 15, Haroon travelled to Pakistan to finish his education. Haroon hit puberty during his 2 years stay in Pakistan. One month in, he hit puberty and obvious signs were displayed. At this stage he was 5”2 and weighed 54g, but he grew significantly taller within the short span of 8 months to approximately 6”1, and the weight on his body spread to healthily maintain a weight of around 56kg. Between the ages of 14 and 15, Haroon frequented the gym every day and worked out on the treadmill, rowing machine, weights, stretches, etc. This helped him maintain good body shape after the fat distribution, and he was eager to continue. The first signs of puberty for him were indicated by pubic hair appearing around the base of the penis and the testicles enlarging. The testicles continue to grow through the ages of 15 and 17. The penis continued to grow in length and then becomes thicker. The scrotum grew- larger and darkened. The pubic hair is coarse, thicker, and curly like adult hair, though there were fewer hairs than an adult has. His voice matured and deepened at around the ages of 14 and 15 too, which he felt insecure about at first. Due to Haroon’s rapid growth spurt, he developed stretch marks down his abdomen and behind the lower half of his legs. This is still one of Haroon’s main physical insecurities to date. Additionally to pubic hair, Haroon grew facial hair and began to shave his beard and moustache but began to grow out his beard at the age of 16.
Additionally, at age 18, Haroon developed the experience of changes in cardiovascular endurance, respiratory rate, and cognitive performance. His vestibular system, which is responsible for balance and coordination, has additional development during this period of puberty and maturity. The reproductive system undergoes full maturation, resulting in the onset of sexual maturity. Facial features, such as facial hair, acne, deepened voice, and increased body hair, may become significantly more pronounced.
INTELLECTUAL
At the age of 11, Haroon could concentrate on what he did for longer periods of time but had trouble retaining information about principal factors at school. He found out that it was easier for him to remember more if he read it or wrote it down rather than listening to it. Although his attention span was quite long for his age, his memorisation skills were extremely weak, and this reflected on his education.
As he grew to 12, he was adjusting to secondary school life and had to complete higher standards of homework weekly. He struggled keeping up with the pace of the new educational setting, specifically in subjects such as math and science. More abstract subjects such as English and PSHE and RE were things he took a best interest in, and in things he enjoyed he evidently put more effort in.
At age 13, in year 9, Haroon had to begin the basic groundworks in preparation for his GCSEs and would also be picking his options. He began to explore his strengths and weaknesses along with what he liked or disliked. These skills involve the ability to organize information and hypothesize to solve problems. Adolescents at this age can think abstractly and deductively, which means they can consider multiple possibilities and draw logical conclusions. They can also use deductive reasoning to analyze and solve complex problems.
At age 14, Haroon had become more confident in his intellectual abilities and had an increased ability to think symbolically and metaphorically as well as literally. This included being able to think about abstract concepts and theorize about future possibilities. Haroon was able to communicate effectively and efficiently with his peers when problem solving, and although he would avoid leadership roles in group settings, Haroon would always complete his share of work to a plausible standard. Haroon had never under achieved nor excelled in any of his subjects and remained at an average grade throughout his school life. When he was 14 he was able to follow long sets of instructions to achieve a final result. He hadn’t many academic achievements from school but had more abstract ones from external projects he participated in. For example, Haroon applied to a writing competition in 2017 and was one of the runner ups. Or in his sports activities etc.
At age 15, Haroon began to develop the ability to think critically. This meant he could question his own beliefs, analyze arguments, and craft logical conclusions based on available evidence. He could also integrate and use information from multiple sources to draw correct conclusions. Haroon chose history for his GCSEs over geography and had greatly developed his information retaining skills and articulation skills. His writing set ups had changed to a more complex style, as he steered away from concrete/stencil examples he had previously learnt. He was able to question the controversial and weigh the pros and cons of situations, as well as the different outcomes and viewpoints one could come from. It was also this year that he completed his religious studies exam and computer/technology exam for GCSEs, and although he managed to pass his morale was broken as he was unable to grow accustomed the new education system in the country he was in. This put him off studying, and he began to neglect his education.
At age 16, Haroon had a more established ability to think analytically. He could consider multiple perspectives, anticipate, and prepare for the consequences of their actions, and use logical reasoning to support his arguments. Haroon was also capable to consider hypothetical situations and plan for the future. His intellectual development at this stage meant he was better able to handle a more demanding high school curriculum as his memory and organizational skills improve. These skills include time management, test preparation, and study skills. This was also the year in which Haroon completed all his GCSE courses/exams. He passed all his subjects, excelling in his RE results, and getting the minimum pass grade in math and combined science.
At age 17, adolescent Haroon developed a more mature understanding of the world. Able to interpret data, evaluate information, and identify the cause and effect of various situations as well as use deductive logic to identify patterns and trends. Haroon went to Coventry college instead of sixth form. Although most 17-year-olds think they are adults, their brains still have not yet fully developed. Haroon was no exception.
At age 18, Haroon was fully immersed in abstract thought. He was capable of making holistic judgments based on his own experiences and had the ability to consider alternative ways of looking at a subject. He was able to use critical thinking to examine arguments, draw inferences and apply knowledge to new situations.
EMOTIONAL
At age 11, Haroon was very anxious and stressed about his slow body growth, and this made him very frustrated. Because of this, Haroon would be bullied for his height and looks throughout primary school and would change schools very frequently. This negatively impacted him because it further escalated his worries about not fitting in with his peers. Going back and forth between feeling independent and needing parental support, Haroon thought that he could no longer trust himself, but simultaneously felt that he only needed himself, and that nobody else could understand him. He did not have any friends to emotionally support him, and much of his time alone. This meant Haroon observed his surroundings a lot, and this impacted him because he became hyper-aware of the way people act when around him. When someone acted strangely around him, Haroon would lash out in anger because he did not know what to do with the unease he was feeling.
This worsened his school situation and caused him to be involved in lots of fights and get into trouble by the teachers at age 12, besides the self-identity issues, Haroon’s anger management worsened and began to hinder life at home. Haroon was the only son in the family, and the youngest so he was very dear to everyone. Because of this, his mother refused to allow him to “grow up” and would often treat him like a child, which would further make Haroon angry, because he wished to be more independent, however he still heavily relied on his family. This made his confused emotions into further turmoil.
At age 13, Haroon began to become more independent and learn to make decisions on his own. During this time, he felt excited about this new freedom, but also become anxious due to the new responsibilities he was introduced to, such as the overbearing homework/academic load as well as the expectations at home and through society. Haroon had always struggled processing and picking up social ques which led to further complications. The experience of changes in his body had caused insecurity and confusion. At the same time, He also began to build more sophisticated relationships with peers and adults as he matured both physically and emotionally.
At age 14, Haroon was usually trying to fit in socially and develop a sense of identity as he felt he lacked both incredibly. He was also beginning to question authority and experiment with independence, which lead to feelings of immense confusion and frustration. During this time, Haroon had become more preoccupied with his appearance and popularity, how society viewed and perceived him. This overwhelmed him to the extent he simply wished to never be perceived in any way or form and did not wish to live any longer in a world in which he would be judged by everyone and everything. Even at home he was reprimanded for his every mistake and dictated how to sit, how to eat, what to wear, etc. He felt that he was no longer his own person and grew more rebellious at both home and school.
At age 15, Haroon had achieved and become much more independent and independent-minded. It was around this time he consciously made the decision to begin to make carefully though through about how they want to present himself to the world, and start taking risks and challenging the status quo to test his popularity at school and society in general. At the same time, He may have been trying to balance his sense of identity with the pressures and expectations of his peers.
At age 16, Haroon was beginning to focus more on his future aspirations and goals and what it is exactly he wanted to do with his life. Haroon had been facing more complex emotions, such as fear of the future, worries over school performance, and feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about the future. It didn’t help that he had, in fact, nothing he wished to do. Although he had a passion for football, there was no clear career he wished to choose, a stark comparison to his peers and siblings. Everyone around him had a dream or a goal, or a slight gist of what they wanted to be in the future, but Haroon had no such thing, which led him to deepen his alienation from society, and embrace his self-doubt. He believed it was he who was flawed, as he briefly regressed into a depressive state.
At age 17, Haroon was in the process of transitioning into adulthood. During the process of exploring different career paths, making decisions about college, and even moving away from home for the first time, Haroon grew accustomed the feeling of being foreign to his surroundings, and learnt to deal with it in a more professional manner, instead of converting his feeling into violent bursts of anger. This led to strong emotions of both excitement and fear as he moved into the world of work and adulthood.
At age 18, Haroon had officially begun to identify himself as a young adult. As he left his secondary school friends behind, he began to look for more meaningful and committed friendships, and always having marriage at the back of his mind due to the influence of his family. As he was already in college, he was doing surprisingly well in the engineering course, and easily balanced the responsibilities at home as the only son of the family. He no longer had to worry about being bullied or how his peers perceived him as his sense of identity had somewhat solidified as he simply tweaked his habits and such. Haroon began to try new life habits such as eating healthier, taking cold showers, and began to pick up reading in a form to balance his mental health along with everything else. His 3rd eldest sister (and youngest daughter) played a major part in his development as she was with him throughout his entire life, even through the transition to Pakistan. She was essentially the one who made Haroon understand the significance of self-care and removed doubts from his faith by educating and comforting him.
SOCIAL
At age 11, Haroon was very anxious and stressed about his slow body growth, and this made him very frustrated. Because of this, Haroon would be bullied for his height and looks throughout primary school and would change schools very frequently. This negatively impacted him because it further escalated his worries about not fitting in with his peers, however he got along with the people in his extracurricular football club. At age 11, Haroon solidified his friendships and formed close bonds with peers from his extracurricular activities, he enjoyed spending time together and engaging in shared interests or hobbies. Although he began to form more concrete bonds with new people, he still had a strong attachment to his family and tended to rely on them for emotional support and guidance. His family were aware of the hardships Haroon was facing, along with his 3 older sisters. They would participate in family activities and maintain close relationships with each other. Although he did not get along with many people at his school, he often visited his friends from other schools, or invited them over. He was not completely isolated during this stage in life, but his opportunities were minimized greatly, as he did not participate in many competitions at school due to the fear of being judged or mocked by his bullies or other classmates.
At age 12, his friendships become more influential, with Haroon relying on his friends for emotional support and seeking their opinions to make decisions. Peer influence started to play a bigger role in shaping his behaviors and attitudes, as he became more rebellious to rules or regulations, he deemed to be unnecessary or ones he did not wish to cooperate with. He and his friends began to explore their interests and exhibit preferences in various areas such as sports teams, musical genres, or hobbies. Haroon never used to listen to music much, but his friends introduced it to him, and it began to play an everyday role in his life, as he began to listen to lots of rap and R&B. He listened to music when he felt overwhelmed or when he’d go to the gym, and so it easily became one of his largest coping mechanisms.
At age 13, Haroon fully developed his emerging self-awareness. This made him become more aware of his individuality and develop a stronger sense of self. This involved exploring personal style, expressing opinions, and forming beliefs. When he was at this age, he began to question the reasons to his life, and even questioned his beliefs and why he was Muslim. He believed this to a socially unacceptable thing to question or challenge, and therefore did not ask anybody but instead got into more arguments with his parents and siblings. At this age, Haroon was also expected to be more responsible of himself from his other family members which proved to frustrate him. He was given chores to complete which he had normally expected his parents or sisters to do for him, and he was in a state of denial and rebellion. Hormonal changes during early adolescence can lead to mood swings or heightened emotions. And Haroon was no exception, who struggled with managing and expressing his feelings effectively.
Haroon at age 14 was also allowed more freedom, however. He began to spend more time with his friends out of the house, socializing at parks or restaurants and playing football for the fun of it. At age 14 Haroon had also won his first trophy in his football club and was greatly congratulated for this. He began to work harder in the things he loved to gain validation from the people around him. This was also around the same time he first caught romantic feelings for a girl in his class, his friends encouraged him to make a move, but Haroon’s poor self-image and insecurities ruined this for him. He instead focused more on his friendships and platonic relationships rather than romantic relationships.
When Haroon turned 15, he, his mother and 3rd eldest sister moved to Pakistan. He struggled with feelings of disconnection and alienation as he tried to navigate life in a foreign country while dealing with the challenges of adolescence. Finding a sense of identity was also difficult as he tried to reconcile his cultural heritage with the norms and values of Pakistan. Although he was Pakistani himself and had no language barriers, his relatives would often tease him for his accent, or scold him for acting a certain way. There were major differences between England and Pakistan, which Haroon found extremely difficult to adjust to. Due to his modern bringing up clashing with this old-style manner, Haroon spent less and less time with his relatives and simply stuck to his mother and sister.
At age 16, Haroon had already begun attending school in Pakistan, and was studying hard for his GCSEs while juggling a job at the mall’s stall agency. He wished to seek more independence from his parents and began to demonstrate increased decision-making skills. Haroon had also learnt how to drive cars and motorcycles and would have the responsibility of grocery shopping and running errands, etc. The thing he loved the most, football, was also there, and he quickly got along well with his peers at both school and extracurricular clubs. He felt a lot more confident with himself as he had hit puberty, but his anger management still proved as a hindrance at home life, and this was also a major time for his studies, but Haroon was quite unbothered. His mother and him frequently fought on this matter, for moving to Pakistan was for the sole reason of their education.
At age 17, Haroon and his family moved back to England. After his GCSEs, which he barely managed to pass, he began preparing for the next stage of his life. He began to think about career paths and options for higher education. He wanted to explore internships, volunteer work, or extracurricular activities related to his potential interests. Except he didn’t quite know what he wanted to do, and so he took up
At age 18, Haroon peaked his self-reliance in the final year of his adolescence. To develop skills and independence necessary for adulthood and all that comes with it, while also studying at college and maintaining his social circle of friends. He had come to have more financial responsibilities, considering employment options, and start planning his future. After his journey of maturing and development, he would contemplate his past experiences and achievements, reflecting on their personal growth and lessons learned. Haroon established a stronger sense of who he is and who he wants to become.
UPDATE: I got the highest in class B)
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