The storm and stress view of adolescence is characterized by the adolescence years which takes

place between approximately the age of 11 and 19. It is time of unheaval and difficult in which

adolescents experiences emotional and behavioral changes such as increased conflicts with

parents, and other authority figures disruption in mood, and increased participation in risk-taking

activities. Key terms to be defined are adolescence, storm and stress.

Adolescence is a complex, multi-system transitional process involving progression from the

immaturity and social depending of childhood into adult life with the goal and expectations of

fulfilled development potential, personal agency, and social accountability (Greenfield, et tal,

2003).Hall's cited in Spencer, (2007) views is adolescence is a phase of life which has recently

gained recognition as a distinct phase of life with its own special needs which will be

characterized by acceleration of physical growth and psychological and behavioral changes

which brings about transformation from childhood to adulthood. Therefore adolescence is the

period between childhood and emerging adulthood.

Hall's cited in Spencer, (2007) views storm and stress is a turbulent time charge with conflicts

and mold swims. Steinberg, (2007) viewed storm and stress as universal and immutable, to the

extent that its absence signified psychopathology. "To be normal during the adolescent period is

by itself abnormal". Therefore storm and stress is a period that children experiences difficult

situations.

Adolescence storm and stress involve conflicts with parents and other authority’s figures

increase at the beginning of adolescence, with the greatest frequency of conflicts happening in

early adolescence and the most intense conflicts happening in mind adolescence. Conflicts

between adolescence and their parents often concern issues such as which adolescence should
begin dating and whom they should date where they should be allowed to go and now late they

should stay out. All these issues can serves as proxies for argument over more serious issues

such as substance use automobile driving safety and sex. In support of that Smith (2016) viewed

adolescence as a time when "the wisdom and advice of parents and teachers is overtopped, and in

ruder, natures may be met by blank contradiction". Douglas, (2011) views the principal issues of

conflicts between adolescence and parents may not be as trivial as they seem on the surface.

Cara, (2000) concluded that within adolescence and conflicts frequency is highest in early

adolescence and conflicts, intensity is highest in midadolescence.

In the same manner, Blakemore (2008) says adolescence is a time for developing independence

and they exercise their independence by questioning their parents’ rules which at times leads to

rule breaking. This is common for once loyal children as they begin to grumble when asked to

carry out some chores at home and they reply in harsh words when been rebuked by their

parents. This is often a challenging time for most parents as they clash over with their children

almost on everything. During this period children occasionally engage in physical confrontation

were frequency and severity of violent interactions increase. Many factors, including

developmental issues, gang membership, access to weapons, substance use and poverty has

contributed to an increase in these circumstances. Adolescents’ behavior is determined by their

own moral and behavioral code. Adolescents who feel warmth and support from their parents are

less likely to engage in risky behaviors (Larson, 2006).

In addition, adolescence is a period of storm and stress because children experience more mood

disruptions, including more negative mood, moods extreme mood, and more frequent mood

changes the children. Adolescence are likely to feel embarrassed, awkward, lonely and nervous

than adults. In support of that Hall's cited in Spencer, (2007) that adolescence as" the age of rapid
fluctuation of moods" and he also added that adolescence is the extreme of mood, and more

frequent changes of mood, compared with preadolescence or adult. More over adolescence has

also been established as a key period of mental health issues such and depression. Depression is

more likely to start during adolescence often leading to lifelong mental health symptoms. In the

same line Annert, (2010) viewed that adolescence carry beepers throughout the day and having

them record their thoughts, behavior, and emotions when they are beeped at random time.

Furthermore, depression is characterized by more extreme feelings of hopelessness, sadness,

isolation, worry, withdrawal and worthlessness that last for two weeks or more. Young people

become stressed for many reasons and the most common being breaking up with boy or girl

friend, increased arguments with parents, change in parents’ financial status, serious illness or

injury of family member and trouble with classmates. In addition, children from single parents or

broken homes are subjected to a near harrowing experience which brings about stress and

depression. (Schlegel and Hewlett, 2011).

Again, adolescence is a period of storm and stress because children have higher rate of reckless

norm-breaking and antisocial behavior either childhood or adults. Adolescence are more likely to

cause disruptions of the social order and to engage in behavior that carries the potential for harm

to themselves and or people around them. Adolescent involved in illegal activities, such as drug

abuse and alcohol use, risk driving, and risk sexual. Steinberg et al (2016) say due adolescence

see suffering from the consequences of such behavior contact with the legal system treatment for

a sexual transmitted debases (STD), environment in an automobile accident, and so forth is likely

to be experienced as difficult. Furthermore, it is understandable that parents may find it difficult

to watch their children pass through the ages when such behavior is most likely to occur.
In the same line, Teenage feel a great push to explore and experiment with their bodies

especially early maturing girls, they are likely to start dating and they combination of the

overwhelming urge to explore and peer pressure leads many into sex. Teenahe often equate

intimacy with sex. Rather than exploring a deep emotional attachment first, teens tend to assume

that if they engage in the physical act, the emotional attachment will follow most sexually active

adolescents are not fully informed about contraception, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted

diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. As a result, many fall

victims of unwanted pregnancies as well as STI’s. This as noted has destroyed so many young

promising teens even from very good homes. Most of the times pregnant teens attempt abortion,

but this does not remove the psychological problems of an unwanted pregnancy. Thus, it leads to

more psychological and medical problems and the church has very strong words against

abortion.

However, the high rate of conflicts with parents in adolescence do not indicate a serious or

enduring breach in parent adolescence relationship. In support of that Smith, (2016) says even

the midlist relatively high conflicts parents and adolescence tend to report that overall of core

values and that they retain a considerable amount of mutual affection and attachment. Even if

they disagree on these conflicts they tend to agree on more serious issues such as the value of

honesty and the importance of education. In addition most adolescent take pleasure in many

aspects of their life, are satisfied with most of their relationships, most of the time and are

hopeful about the future. Cara, (2000) saw adolescence as stormy and stressful, but also "the

birth day of the imagination", and "the best decades of life".

In conclusion, the essay above viewed that adolescence, storm and stress is not simply a myth

that has captured the popular imagination but a real part of life for many adolescence and other
parents. The view of Hall shows that a tendency toward some aspects of storm and stress exist in

adolescence in their conflicts with parents, in their mood disruption, and in their high rate of a

variety type of risk behavior. Many adolescence exhibit a heightened degree of storm and stress

compared with other period of life.

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