10 Developments That Take Place During Adolescence

Throughout every stage of life, we as humans go through different developments. Research by, among others, Spanjaard and Slot has shown that adolescents generally engage with the same developmental tasks.

In our family home, we work with teenagers between the ages of 12 and 16. Based on their age, they are considered early to middle adolescents. As a family home, it is expected of us to continuously monitor, stimulate, and evaluate their development.

To do this as effectively as possible, we use these developmental tasks as guidelines. If you are a parent, caregiver, or professional who also wants to map, support, or evaluate an adolescent’s development—especially if you feel there may be stagnation—this overview can offer insight.

In this blog, I will go through the developmental tasks in detail. This will help you understand where stagnation may be occurring and where support may be needed.

1. Position in relation to parents

During adolescence, an adolescent learns to become less dependent on their parents and begins to define their own place within the changing family dynamic. They search for their own identity. At the same time, friendships and peer relationships become increasingly important. Parents and friends often take on equally important roles during this phase.

2. Education, daily activities, or work

During adolescence, individuals develop knowledge and skills needed for future employment. They also begin to explore and make decisions about their current and future career paths.

3. Free time

Adolescents learn to independently engage in activities during their free time and to spend their time meaningfully when they are not obligated to do something.

4. Living situation

Adolescents learn to take care of their own room, belongings, and shared living spaces, as well as how to interact with housemates.

5. Authority and institutions

Adolescents learn to accept that there are authorities and institutions above them, while also learning how to stand up for their own interests within established rules and systems.

6. Health and appearance

Adolescents learn to take care of themselves, including personal hygiene, understanding healthy versus unhealthy habits, maintaining physical fitness, and recognizing and avoiding health risks.

7. Social contacts and friendships

Adolescents learn to build and maintain relationships, understand the value of social interaction, open themselves to friendships, give and receive trust, and practice mutual acceptance.

8. Social media and internet

Adolescents learn to use smartphones and computers in a healthy way, find and share information, evaluate messages critically, distinguish between virtual and real life, and recognize potential risks.

9. Intimacy and sexuality

Adolescents learn to navigate sexuality, explore their own desires, boundaries, and possibilities, and understand those of others within intimate and sexual relationships.

10. Cultural differences

Adolescents learn about norms and values from different cultures, how to interpret them, and which behaviors are appropriate in various cultural contexts.