Adolesence and Identity

Who Am I?

“But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them.”

(Psalm 103:17 – 18)

In the 1940’s, psychologist Erik Erikson became well known for studying “identity” and how it’s development is key to emotional health.  Through his studies, Erikson determined that a main task in adolescence is the search for identity.

The Challenge of Adolescence

The establishment of a personal identity is not easy.  Physical and sexual changes in puberty can make a person feel like they have undergone a metamorphosis overnight.  Situational changes like going from grade school to high school can bring about seismic shifts in a teen’s social world.  Cognitive maturity contributes to the ability to think more and gain a deeper view on life.  Deeper reflection brings about challenges to a developing person’s faith as they are bombarded by different messages from the culture.  Physical, sexual, social, and religious/moral changes all contribute to the challenge of identity formation.

Notice when a teen needs help

Teens will naturally test roles and boundaries to experiment with identity.  This is natural.  However, this exploration can lead to healthy emotional development or to unfortunate conflicts.

The most common indicators of struggle are when a teen engages in misguided “adult-like” behavior in the form of taboo pleasures.  Indicators of this dynamic include the use of tobacco, alcohol, drugs, pornography and engaging in premarital sex.

Rebellion becomes significant when attitudes and behavior begin to isolate a teen from their most important resource,

the family.  Although teens will often experiment with unique roles, the family influence on identity is crucial.  In order for family influence to occur, a teen needs a healthy connection to their parents and siblings.

Finally, identity confusion can contribute to a teenager developing significant emotional problems.  Defiance, rage, anxiety, and depression can emerge.  These factors can result in destructive behavior, the most extreme being suicide, which is the third leading cause of death for teens.  It is important to detect these problems early and take action.