Many teenagers in this society are struggling because of the bad influences they are facing on daily basis; however, some teenagers encounter greater difficulties than others due to the neighborhood or the economic status they live in. In this paper I will talk about a young boy name LeAlan. I will discuss about LeAlan’s demographics, race, physical appearance, and life circumstances. Additionally, I will discuss some main concerns I have about him; concerns like his sleeping habits, his weight, his nutrition, and some risk factors of substance abuse. First of all, LeAlan Jones is an African American thirteen year old boy who lives with his grandparents. According to Jones, Newman, and Isay (1997), LeAlan is short and overweight (pg. 29, …show more content…
This is a concern that LeAlan could end up using substances the same way many of his family members, his friends, and neighbors have. According to Jones et al. (1997), LeAlan has been exposed to all kind of substances that are sold in his neighborhood. They explain that LeAlan acts mature due to the things he has seen happening with his family members and friends in regards of illegal drugs. Jones et al. (1997) explain how LeAlan describes how he was exposed to all type of drugs; he knew who sold them, and even where it was sold (pg. 33). Even though LeAlan has not been identified as an adolescent who has used drugs in the past, he is only thirteen and it is at high risk of being part of the statistics of substance abuse user due to the environment where he lives. Another predictor that LeAlan could fall into substance abuse is that he has gone through puberty earlier than other boys his age. According to Steinberg (2017), boys who experience puberty early are more exposed to the use of drugs and alcohol (pg. 31). Jones et al. (1997) explain that LeAlan is a kid in age, but he has a mind of a grown-up because of the things he has seen happening in his neighborhood (pg. 33). Since LeAlan act more mature than other adolescents his own age, his grandmother allows him to do things that others would not do. Steinberg (2017) found that adolescents who mature early, have less adult supervision and are in more danger to use drugs than those adolescents who mature later (pg. 31). According to the information provided above, the use of substances in LeAlan life is a
Adolescence is a time where adolescents grow and mature at a rapid rate. It is also a time where adolescents are more vulnerable to taking risks, such as using and becoming addicted to illegal substances, due to raging hormones. Whether or not an adolescent chooses to engage in drug use and abuse depends on their home environment and those they choose to associate themselves with. Adolescents are confronted with an enormous amount of pressure to participate in risky behaviors by their peers. According to Broderick and Blewitt (2015), “risky behaviors are behaviors that constitute a departure from socially accepted norms or behaviors that pose a threat to the well-being of individuals or groups” (p. 389). One such risky behavior is drug use and addiction. Some adolescents use cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and prescription drugs in order to get “high”. Adolescents who engage in drug use are likely to become addicted, and thus, their addiction will negatively affect their brain development.
Stress and weight control among teens are some other reasons why they use drugs, smoke cigarettes, or drink alcohol (Teen Detox, 1). “Younger Children, at eight-grade level and below, are at a greater risk, because their personalities haven’t developed well enough, and the aren’t mature enough to know how to handle altered states of consciousness. As with any drug, the younger the age of first use, the higher the risk” (Dr. Larry Chait, Teen Addiction, 64).
In order to illustrate a key stage in the life course, I will be looking at the area of adolescence because I believe that this is one of the most critical life stages, with so many immense transitions young people go through. I have chosen to focus on adolescence because of a commitment to working with these vulnerable individuals aged from 14 to 19. We can no doubt all reflect on wrong choices we felt we made in our adolescence, and how our education and employment prospects may have benefited from good advice at this crucial juncture in life. I want to be able to guide vulnerable adolescents in the right direction and help them make the right choices, by understanding their needs, and supporting them in practical ways to live fulfilling and independent lives. From personal experience, I sincerely believe that with the right kind of guidance and attention, troubled teenagers can get back on track.
In today’s society drugs are now easy access for people to get their hands. Due to the fact that they easily able to access, this gives young youth a chance of a lifestyle that they should be taken part in. A scenario in the text book, about a young girl name Sue had easy access to drugs and alcohol leads to a lifestyle that she would later on regret. It is said that young juvenile starts have drug use as early at the age of twelve. Sue was seventeen when she first started using drugs.
The widespread feeling today is that there are more troubled teenagers than it was in the past, the increase of gangs, drugs, and guns will continue to be a social problem. Youth gangs are increasingly becoming a minority problem, and this trend is likely to increase in years to come, the drugs choices of juvenile may change in the future but that don’t mean it will be less of a problem than it is now, their choice of drugs today is cocaine and methamphetamine. Juveniles will continue to drink alcohol, and there is no reason to believe that the use of alcohol will be less of a problem than at present.
Research shows the young adolescents who are exposed before 14 years of ages are more likely to develop dependence or addiction to the substance used. Another primary protective prevention method is by good and strict parenting. Parents should be able to monitor their child’s activities or influences to prevent experimentation of substances and also strong close family bonds (Ford, 2016). Support from the family members is very critical in the preventive precautions of a child. Because again one of the major factors that lead to substance about starts at home. Parents must be present throughout the childhood years to guide and orient the child.
Before children descend into drug addiction a whole array of signals normally appears, suggesting the family is in trouble. Few people are equipped to recognize these signs (Henican 181). Stresses of everyday living is just too great a burden to bear alone; they feel like they need a protective shell, that invisible physic capsule they can hide inside. Most high school students said that some time in their lives they have used alcohol, drugs, or tobacco. More than seventy one percent of high school students have tried cigarettes, forty two percent have smoked marijuana, twenty seven percent had a cigar, seven percent tried cocaine, and eighty percent had a drink of alcohol (Dryfoos 26).
According to current statistics released by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, “In the United States in 2011, there were an estimated 25.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17. In the past year, more than one quarter of adolescents drank alcohol, approximately one fifth used an illicit drug, and almost one eighth smoked cigarettes” ("A Day in the Life of American Adolescents," 2013, para. 1). Substance abuse is major problem amongst adolescents. Some are experimenting, but some adolescents may become dependent on a particular substance. If one becomes dependent on a substance as an adolescent it could be detrimental to their future health and success as an adult. Spear (2003) stated in an article titled Alcohol’s
In this paper I plan to discuss the developmental stages of adolescence. Adolescents are also referred to as "teenagers" or "young adults." Adolescence begins after the childhood stage and ends right before adulthood. The years of adolescence range from 12 years old to 21 years old. The years of adolescence can be quite a roller coaster ride. Young people in this stage encounter a great deal of changes in their life as they prepare for adulthood. I will discuss emotional, intellectual, physiological, and social domains of development and how it relates to adolescents. I will also discuss some helpful tips for teachers to aide in communicating effectively to adolescents and understanding their
The population discussed by Tammy Thivierge focus on adolescent girls becoming drug abusers. She explain that girls are beginning to use more than boys. The research include girls in the 8th thru 10th grade. Not only are girls using illegal drugs, they are smoking and drinking due to peer pressure. Griffin and Botvin (2011) suggest adolescent usually use substance due to a negative influences form their peers in their social that related with their specific developmental
As soon as birth, children are exposed to new things; new life experiences that will develop the path of which direction their life will take. Adolescence is the most important time in a child’s life because it is where they learn appropriate behavior from their family and the outside world. Some children are able to use these experiences to differentiate at an early age what is right and what is wrong and hopefully carry this into adulthood. What happens when children are exposed to the wrong experiences at an early age? What happens if children assume that what they are seeing is okay because one of their parents are
The United States Department of Justice National Drug Intelligence Center (2011) states that “drugs change brains and this may lead to addiction so it is imperative that prevention starts in reducing these risks early”. The most critical time drug abuse increases in adults is during times of transition such as a divorce or loss of a job. In early adolescence, social and academic challenges allow for greater exposure in the school environment. High school welcomes greater availability of drugs and at the same time normal behaviors such as the desire to try new things or take greater risks, may increase teen tendencies to experiment. Using abusable substances
Teenage is a fundamental stage of life that each human being passes through. Some people face this period of their life strongly and positively, while others face many problems and difficulties. This depends on the environment these young adults live in, their parents, their friends, their living conditions, their education, and many other factors. Teenagers face many problems such as becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol, being influenced negatively by their peers, self-image and weight, or even arguments with their parents
Thesis Statement: The issues of youthful substance mishandle is essentially caused by stressful life occasions, peer impact and neglection of youngsters by guardians.
The adolescent girl is a young girl who is on the developmental process of about maturing to adult. However, those teenagers are on biological development of the body changes that are establishing personal identity. Moreover, adolescent is a time a child endeavors to separate from parent. In addition, some of these adolescents begin to make harmful decision that will isolate them from the right information. For example, it is at this time some teenagers will separate themselves from parent and engage in drug or alcohol abuse as a result of peer pressure. Besides that, by the virtue of the bad company some of them keep might expose them to pregnancy. On the other hand, some adolescent problem might arise due to poverty, single teenage mother,