Looking for the best adolescent psychology books? We have created this list for you. Adolescent psychology involves looking at the issues, stages and various influences that a child experiences throughout their development into functioning adults. Adolescent psychology can be divided into two main areas – the actual process of psychological development that the child goes through when growing up and the analysis and treatment of the various problems that a child may face throughout their development.
Adolescence is a period of many changes ranging from the biological changes associated with puberty, to the social/educational changes associated with the transitions from elementary to secondary school, and to the social and psychological changes associated with the emergence of sexuality. With such diverse and rapid change comes a heightened potential for both positive and negative outcomes. And, although most individuals pass through this developmental period without excessively high levels of “storm and stress,” a substantial number of individuals do experience difficulty. For example, between 15 and 30% of students (depending on ethnic group) drop out of high school: further, adolescents have the highest arrest rate of any age group: and many consume alcohol and other drugs on a regular basis. In contrast, many adolescents do quite well during this period of life: they acquire the skills to move successfully into meaningful adult roles, they develop lasting friendships, and they form healthy, productive identities.
Our adolescents today are exposed to a constantly changing expanse of information from a multitude of sources. Some, like cruising the Internet, were unknown to earlier generations. To stay “in the know” vis-a-vis their peers, adolescents need continuing access to the latest word their culture has to offer. They also must sort through a rapid-fire and often conflicting barrage of input from peers, parents, teachers, and media, to decide what to believe, what to ignore, and what warrants their sustained interest. Moreover, the information processing and judgment demands that today’s teens face are central to their survival. Decisions about drug use, sexual activity, and social-group membership can have life-or-death implications.