Family and Child Welfare

Family and Child Welfare 3 (3+0)

Lesson 19 : Welfare Services for Adolescents – Need and Types

Introduction

Adolescence is a period of growing up that comes between childhood and adulthood. This process takes place during the years from 13 to 18) Adolescence marks a period of very rapid physical and psychological changes in a person who is not yet mature enough to comprehend the full implications of these changes nor is he/she able to cope with them.

Adolescent needs guidance in order to understand himself and his environment. This is a period of awakening of new powers and of adventures. The adolescent does not accept authority. It is the time when he likes to take his own decisions but many a time, due to lack of proper understanding and guidance, he may take wrong decisions. This is the age when the person does not know whether he is a child or an adult. He has to adjust himself with varying and sometimes conflicting demands from his parents, teachers, playmates and the community. It is therefore rightly said that adolescence is a period of 'stresses and strains.