Write a 950-1150 word paper in which you describe changes that occur during middle childhood and adolescence concerning family and peer relationships and how they might influence future development.
Be sure to include the following items in your description:
Adolescence and middle childhood serve as an exploration period for children. The majority of children are excited about experiencing these stages of their lives, considering they feel a sense of freedom to go out and explore their external environment. Despite this, adolescence is also a period characterized by an endless struggle for children to not only find their identity but also come to terms with the impending adulthood and separation from their families (Helfert & Warschburger, 2013). Generally, adolescence is time for self-centeredness and self-consciousness. Children at this stage face intense peer and social pressure to engage in a lot of experimentation, something that can lead to serious problems. For instance, children start maturing sexually during their adolescent years. Such maturity coupled with peer pressure might prompt a child to start experimenting with sex, and given the limited knowledge they might pertaining to this topic, they might get pregnant or suffer from STDs. The struggle to find and define a child’s identity is another problem that comes out during the adolescence
