Adolescence: The Transition From Childhood Into Adulthood

There are many social, psychological, and legal definitions with regard to the entrance into adulthood. In modern societies, adolescence is defined as the transitional period from childhood into adulthood. There is not a specific event, signal or line that denotes the end of childhood or the beginning of adolescence. Rather, this period of time is more like a passage from one era to another, which is composed of a set of transitions that gradually develop in the individual. It usually starts around 11 to 12 years of age, and it lasts until the late teens or even early twenties. This is a time full of opportunities for the individual for cognitive, psychosocial, and physical growth. At the same time, there are many risks and crucial developmental events that could affect the individual both at …show more content…
While many of these issues and events are associated with behavior and social interaction, they are linked to physical and emotional development.
One of the first major changes experienced by adolescents is puberty. The physical developments mark the end of childhood and show the first stages of adulthood. This is the biological transitional phase of adolescence, and possibly the most visible sign that it has begun. Puberty is the period in which the individual becomes capable to sexual reproduction. However, the term is also used to refer to all the physical changes that take place in the growing individual, as he passes from childhood into adulthood. Physical changes in puberty are triggered by hormones, which are chemical substances in the body acting on specific tissues and organs. In males the major change is found in an increased production of testosterone, the male sex hormone,