Current research questions whether the influences of puberty on adolescents are as strong as once believed. Have the effects of puberty been exaggerated? While it is true that puberty affects some adolescents more acutely than others, in general, puberty is a less dramatic event for adolescents.
Before continuing with this article, let’s agree on what puberty is. It is a biological change that children go through that causes bodily changes as well as emotional changes. It also includes the maturation of thought and moral development, in the way adolescents see themselves and others.
While puberty occurs at an alarmingly earlier age in boys, puberty typically begins between ages 8-13 for girls and 9-14 years for boys. If it occurs before the age of 8 for girls and 9 for boys, it is considered early (precocious) development. Puberty is considered delayed if it has not started before the age of 13 for girls and 14 years for boys.
First signs of puberty for Girls (average age 10) is the incipient breast and subsequent breast development. This change is followed by the growth of pubic hair and armpit hair. The first menstrual period (menarche) usually occurs around the age of 12. However, menarche is progressing earlier in some girls, particularly African-American girls. There is a growth spurt during puberty, and girls will reach a final adult height about two years after menarche. Weight gain and widening of the pelvic area are also noted. Puberty, as a complete process, lasts 3 to 4 years.
Puberty starts later Children. The average age of onset of puberty is around 11 years old. The first development observed is the increase in size of the testicles. This is later followed by the growth of pubic hair, as well as armpit, axillary, chest and facial hair. The deepening of the male’s voice is also observed. The growth of muscle mass and the ability to have erections and ejaculate (especially nocturnal emissions, “wet dreams”) occurs and this and other processes of sexual maturation occur over a period of 3 to 4 years.
Puberty is also associated with adolescents with increased perspiration, body odor, and acne. It is important for the reader to understand that there can be wide variation in the onset and progression of puberty.
As in other studies of human growth and development, stress can be associated with bodily changes, puberty is no exception. However, have the effects of puberty been exaggerated? Current research indicates that the vast majority of adolescents cope with this stress effectively. Among the many questions posed to hundreds of adolescents in my research (2010), several questions concerned their views on puberty. Let’s “hear” what the teens had to say.
Was the onset of puberty a problem for you?
1. Yes – 2. No
Men: 1.7% – 2.93%
Women: 1.7% – 2.93%
Would you describe the onset of puberty as getting:
1. Arrived too early – 2. Average – 3. Too late
Men: 1.7% – 2.91% – 3.2%
Women: 1.18% – 2.78% – 3.4%
If puberty came too soon for you, did it create unwanted attention from your peers?
others of the opposite sex?
1. Yes – 2. No
Men: 1.26% – 2.74%
Women: 1.58% – 2.42%
Clearly from my sample of adolescents, puberty was not considered problematic, traumatic, or a problem for our adolescents. Male and female respondents were exactly the same in their responses.
More women reported that they perceived puberty to come too early than men, by a margin of two to one, and women felt that too early (early) created a problem for them again, by a margin of two to one.
Most adults seem to have a negative view of the onset of puberty for their teens and fear the consequences of puberty and are quick to attribute their teens’ negative behaviors to the onset of puberty.
Finally, recent research strongly suggests that puberty has less dramatic effects for most adolescents than is commonly thought. Of course, parents need to counsel their children and prepare for the changes they are about to go through.