Teenage Observations

Class/ Section: FHS 1500- SU15

Name:
Laura Mercer
Assignment: Observation 4
Background Information
Child's Age:
15 years old
Fictitious Name: "Julia"
Location:
Murray City Library
Brief Description: I met Julia at the Murray City Library and we sat at a table in the back where
she felt comfortable as we talked for about half an hour. She was a
friend of
my younger sister; we were introduced when I asked about
someone to
interview.
Physical Development
Julia was a very sweet girl who was more than happy to be open about how she felt about
things and the development of herself and her peers. One of the first questions asked was about
physical development and menstruation; she stated that most of her peers started their period
between 11 and 13 years old. However, there was one friend who didn't start until she was about
16 years old. I also asked if she noticed any of her friends were teased or bullied for maturing too
early or too late. She said that since her one friend's changes were easier to hide she didn't
receive any bullying, however she herself starting showing breasts at 9 years old in about 3rd
grade. She said that boys were very cruel and would tease and call her names, they would also
"flip her bra strap" and make her feel very uncomfortable. The appearance of periods is right on
target with most teenage girls, the breasts developing was a little early for Julia; most do not start
showing breasts until about 10 years old. The teasing that Julia experienced is unfortunately very
normal for kids that mature more quickly than others (Berger, 2014, p. 320, 325.)
When asked if Julia noticed a change in the way her friends and classmates view their
bodies, or body image, she answered with a resounding yes. She said that everyone is focused on
their looks all the time, girls especially. There is a focus on weight, hair, acne and makeup; allot
of girls will carry makeup with them in their backups so that they can touch up between classes
and at lunch to make sure they stay looking good. I then asked if she had any friends that were
dealing with eating disorders or had heard of anybody in her school with that problem. She said
that she didn't not have anyone that she currently knew experiencing this, but she said that her
school has taken it upon themselves to teach the kids about the eating disorders and the warning
signs. It sounds like the school has decided that peers are more likely to notice it than adults and
are using that to their advantage. Body image is something that teens in all areas of the world
experience; they are trying to fit a norm or an ideal body type. Girls are trying to be thin, while
boys try to be muscular. This can lead both genders to making more health decisions, including
eating disorders that can be detrimental now and in the future (Berger, 2014, p. 328-329)
Cognitive Development
I asked Julia if she had done anything that her parents felt was reckless, she said her best
example was her choice to come out about her sexuality at her young age. Her parents were
accepting of her realization but not as much about her choice to make it public, they were
worried about how her peers would react and whether she could handle the backlash that was

likely to follow. Teens often make reckless decisions because their amygdale, where excitement
and worry originates, matures faster than their prefrontal cortex that is responsible for the
impulse control (Berger, 2014, 331.) I also asked Julia if she felt she made decisions with her
heart (emotions) or with her head (logic.) She said that she feels that she most often makes her
decisions with heart even if they don't logically make sense. She said that her coming out was a
good example of that, she felt proud about her realization and she wanted the whole world to
know it. Even though her parents tried to talk to her and explained logically why this might be
something to wait on she was not willing to listen and made decision to go public. She also
reacted emotionally to all the comments that were made, good and bad. Teens often prefer to
make decisions with their emotions whether consciously or subconsciously, because it is easier to
use their intuition than to analyze the situation logically. This is often the reason that small or
simple issues become larger and more dramatic for teens than for adults (Berger, 2014, 338-339.)
Social Development
Julia said that as she is searching for her identity she is often jumping around between
ideas and interests. After she came out about her identity she went back and forth between
lesbian and straight. She is also looking to the future a little bit but keeps jumping between career
and college options, she has fluctuated as far as a doctor in psychology to cosmetology school.
She is showing an example of role confusion, where teens fluctuated between a variety of
interests without focusing on anything in particular (Berger, 2014, p. 356.)
Because of what Julia said about her sexual identity I asked if any of her other peers had
experienced sexual identity issues. She said that she has one friend that is considered pan sexual,
which means that she is open to dating anyone and everyone despite gender or gender identity.
Julia also stated that the same friend is dating someone who is transgender, a girl who would like
to transition into a boy and is already asking others to call her by her male name. This seems to
be a common issue especially in the U.S. as more and more types of gender identities are
discovered and the term "gender-identity disorder" is becoming more scrutinized (Berger, 2014,
p. 360, 370.)

References
Berger, K.S. (2014). Invitation to the Life Span. (2nd ed). New York, NY. Worth Publishers. Pp.
320-370.)