The Effects of Early Physical Development in Girls
The Effects of Early Physical Development in Girls
Building Blocks
Vibrancy is a state of mental health that denotes acceptance of self and is not dependent on another person's acceptance.
Girls who mature early, developing breasts before the average age of 12½, have more problems than other adolescents. Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, professor of child development at Columbia University, found that girls who mature prematurely experience three times greater risk of depression, eating disorders, and behavioral problems during adolescence. The problems do not only arise from all of the factors we have already discussed but also from the tendency of the young adolescents with mature bodies to hang out with older girls.
The Importance of Being on the Lookout
Dr. Brooks-Gunn says that parents must be vigilant in supervising and monitoring their adolescent daughters in order to avoid future problems. Take a look at the following table to see what lies at the end of the adolescent road for further verification that your attention and presence are acutely needed.
| Emerging Voice and Persona | ||
|---|---|---|
| Emerging with a Healthy Voice and Persona | Emerging with an Unhealthy Voice and Persona | |
| Increased empathy | Distrust adults | |
| Good balance between caring for others and caring for self | Elusive | |
| Ability to interact successfully | Co-dependent personality | |
| Development of core self | Loss of self in relationships | |
| Strong but pliable identity | A victim mentality | |
| Abundance of family | Builds lop-sided relationships | |
| Extended relationality | Hold onto family feuds | |
| Greater intuition into self and others | Substance abuse or eating disorders | |
| Ability to build authentic relationships | Unhappy | |
| Vibrancy | Lethargic, sullen | |