Week 3 - Discussion and project and paper PDF

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Discussion and project and paper...

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The text describes several routes that adolescents can use to gain social acceptance: Conformity, Achievement, Participation, Physical Attractiveness, and Deviance are listed (Chapter 10). Give specific examples of some of the ways that you or your peers used one or two of these routes to acceptance in middle school or high school. Dolgin, K. (2018). The adolescent: Development, relationships, and culture. (14th ed). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. During the adolescent years, one of the ways used to gain social acceptance is conformity. This concept entails acting or behaving in a way that is in accordance with conventions or standards that are perceived to be socially accepted. However, conformity, especially amongst middle school-aged students can be a common self-defeating behavior. According to the article, “Adolescence and the Psychology of Self-Defeat,” written by Carl E. Pickhardt, Ph.D., conformity can often be translated to the idea that “I’ll do wrong to belong” (Psychology Today). In my own experience, conformity during middle school manifested itself in a number of ways. For pre-teen girls, conformity had a lot to do with physical appearance - tying in the route of physical attractiveness. During my adolescent years, girls would conform to sporting the newest trends in order to boost what they perceived to be their own physical attractiveness. This meant going out and buying the newest jewelry, shopping from the trendiest stores and matching with friends. Yet, conformity also extended into behaviors and actions. When I was in seventh grade there was an option to be a part of the school recycling program. This entailed going around from classroom to classroom during the final hour of the school day collecting recycling from each room. Once all the recycling had been collected, students were instructed to return to their homeroom. Instead, many students used this as an opportunity to collect the recyclables as fast as possible, and to spend the rest of the time socializing in the hallways. Although this was against the rules, those who got to roam the halls were considered “cool.” As more and more students joined the recycling club in the hopes of conforming to partake in this socialization time, rules became more strict and consequences were enacted. This is just one example of the many ways in which adolescents will conform to meet the negative behaviors of their peers to boost their own perceived self-image. Word Count: 325 Works Cited: Dolgin, Kim Gale. The Adolescent: Development, Relationships, and Culture. Pearson, 2018. Chapter 10. Pickhardt, Carl E. “Adolescence and the Psychology of Self-Defeat.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 16 Sept. 2019, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/surviving-your-childsadolescence/201909/adolescence-and-the-psychology-self-defeat.

1200 words.In your paper you will choose from one of the topics listed in Chapter 14: Adolescent Stress and Alienation or Chapter 15: Substance Abuse, Addiction, and Dependency. This will be a two-part paper. In part one, you will choose a topic and describe how it relates to adolescents. In part two, you will choose a movie or book which portrays this issue through one or more of its characters. Compare the movie/book to your research. How well, does the movie/book compare to what you have learned in research about how these issues affect adolescents? Do you agree or disagree with the way the character’s issue , mental illness, issue, is portrayed when comparing the actual research that you have studied? Explain giving cited research. n part one you need to cover this items: (Remember to include research and facts for each category). I: Introduction-A proper definition/introduction of the adolescent problem, issue, that you will present. ● ● ●

Causes and symptoms (Examine the problem, list symptoms, discuss particular risk factors. Nature or Nurture (Discuss whether it is hereditary, environmental, or both.) Diagnosis or assessment (Discuss how the problem is recognized, diagnosed and/or assessed.)

Treatment (Options and prevention) II. Movie or Book Title● ● ●

Describe a "short" paragraph about your movie and character. Compare and contrast the topic and actual research, giving your critical review. Conclusion-Give your final statements and additional thoughts or statements.

Suicide in Adolescence I. The period of adolescence can be a very trying time for a number of young people, especially when it comes to instances of stress and alienation. Both of these factors can lead adolescents to feeling isolated, depressed, worthless and emotionally unstable. When multiple of these factors are compiled, adolescents can become extremely overwhelmed, leading to the possibility of suicidal thoughts, behaviors or actions. As the leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 24, this is an issue needing to be addressed through a combination of education, awareness and communication (Dolgin). According to the Stanford Children’s Health website, changes that occur during the adolescent phase (such as body changes, changes in thoughts and feelings of stress, confusion, fear and doubt) may impact a teen’s ability to solve problems and make logical decisions (Stanford Children’s Health). Furthermore, events such as changes in the family dynamic, changes in friendships, problems at school and losses can leave adolescents feeling as if certain situations

are too challenging or embarrassing to ever overcome. In these instances, teens may turn to suicide as what seems like a logical and optimal solution. Other risk factors that are known to prompt suicidal tendencies include the presence of a substance abuse problem, impulsive behaviors, undesirable lif eevents, a history of mental illness within one’s family, a family history involving suicide, family violence, the existance of guns at home, imprisonment and exposure to the suicidal behaviors of others (Stanford Children’s Health). If one or multiple risk factors become apparent, the adolescent must next be evaluated for the potential warning signs which often present themselves prior to a teen committing suicide. It should be noted that many of the warning signs of suicide are also symptoms of depression. For example, adolescents who are contemplating suicide may additionally exhibit changes in their eating and sleeping habits, a loss of interest in normal activities, general withdrawl from friends and family members and neglect their personal appearance. They may also turn to drug or alcohol use, act-out in ways such as running away from home, take unnecessary risks, exhibit a newfound obsession with death and dying and have little to no interest in school work (Stanford Children’s Health). Unfortunately, the risks and warning signs of adolescent suicide are all too common. About 5,000 young people between 15 and 24 years of age successfully commit suicide each year. Of these individuals, girls remain about twice as likely as boys to attempt suicide, but 85 percent of successful suicides are committed by boys (Dolgin 398). To diagnose and “treat” teen suicide, those close to the teen should keep a close eye on them; this means watching, listening and observing their behaviors. If alarming behaviors are presented, it is the responsibility of a parent or legal guardian (or other person of influence like a clerk, coach or clergyman) to ask the adolescent tough questions - including if they plan to physically harm themselves. If the answer is yes, the adult must seek help for the teen immediately. This help can come in the form of a doctor-referred psychologist or psychiatrist, or through a local hospital’s department of psychology. If an appointment for a psychiatric examination is scheduled, the teen should be closely monitored in the time leading up to the appointment. In emergency scenarios, those worried about a possible suicide should call (800) SUICIDE immediately (KidsHealth). When it comes down to whether or not suicidal thoughts are inherited or learned behaviors, research has shown that adolescents can inherit traits making them more susceptible to depressive thoughts. However, suicide as an action can also be a learned behaviors obseved from others, or from external factors such as education materials, publications or the media. Expressing that suicide in genreal is a comination of both nature and nuture, the article, “Nature vs. Nurture and Depression” shares that, “We have found here is that this particular genetic

lottery can tell us to some extent which of us are more resilient to stress, and which of us are less so, at least with respect to depressive episodes. These genes are things we cannot change, but learning the pathology of why the S genotype makes us more vulnerable depression in certain contexts can help us both treat and prevent depression” (Psychology Today). II. Providing a reknown example of how adolescent suicide is both relevant and important to address across modern day society, the book “13 Reasons Why” was published in October 2007. Within the novel, written by Jay Asher, a high school student finds a series of tapes seemingly explaining the reasoning for the suicide of one of his peers. While listening to the 13 individual tapes, the story’s protagonist begins to understand the many people and reasons leading up to his peer’s suicide. As the teenage boy makes his way through listening to the tapes, he begins to learn that his fellow student, Hannah, killed herself largely do to treatment from others. One of her “reasons why” was that she was sexually taunted after an initial encounter kissing a boy at a park. Then, another girl spread rumors about Hannah detailing sexual toys she had “found” in her bedroom. Another boy published one of Hannah’s poems in their school paper, leading to her increased levels of public embarrassment. Together, these incidents that could be described as adolescent torment or social bullying led Hannah to a state of diminished self-worth - and ultimately to the point where she decided the best solution was to take her own life. It becomes apparent through Hannah’s tapes that she wanted so badly to be liked and accepted by her peers, and when she felt isolated and excluded is when her suicidal thoughts first began. Her suicide can be viewed as the way which she chose to escape from her problems. This book (turned television show) is aligned with the many risks and warning signs that demonstrate how depression, sadness and isolation can be detrimental to the mental well-being of an adolescent-aged individual. Whereas it is important to understand and internalize the importance of identifying these worrisome behaviors, the book itself may also be seen as a promotional means highlighting the act of suicide. For this reason, many professionals have voiced their concern about the widespread attention and readership the novel has received. According to the International Association for Suicide Prevention, “There is consistent evidence of the negative impact of detailed and graphic portrayals of suicide in terms of an increased risk of copycat suicides, especially among young vulnerable people. Research has consistently shown that following the detailed portrayal of suicide in the media or in a film/TV series, the risk of suicide involving the same method increased from 81% to 175% in the weeks and months after the release” (IASP). In conclusion, while “13 Reasons Why” accurately portrays an instance of adolescent suicide,

explaining all of the waring signs and missed opportunities for treatment, it may not be a healthy publication for teenagers to read without educator intervention and explaination. However, the overall concept of suicide and suicide prevention must absolutely be discussed during the adolescent years to deter such behaviors, and to help teenagers identify warning signs and proper ways to handle their depression and possible suicidal thoughts and tendencies. Through education, understanding and resources, adolescents can become better equipped to manage their own mental and emotional well-being, and be there to support their peers as well. Education and understanding are vital to decreasing the number of adolescent suicides that occur each year. Works Cited: “About Teen Suicide (for Parents).” Edited by D'Arcy Lyness, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, Aug. 2015, kidshealth.org/en/parents/suicide.html. Arensman, Ella, et al. “Briefing in Connection with the Netflix Series '13 Reasons Why'.” International Association for Suicide Prevention, 2 May 2017, www.iasp.info/pdf/2017_iasp_statement_13_reasons_why.pdf. Deans, Emily. “Nature vs. Nurture and Depression.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 29 July 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201707/nature-vsnurture-and-depression. “Default - Stanford Children's Health.” Stanford Children's Health - Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=teen-suicide-90-P02584. Dolgin, Kim Gale. The Adolescent: Development, Relationships, and Culture. Pearson, 2018. Chapter 14....