Studies indicate that elementary school age children from high SES families are more successful in ...

Answer to #1

D

Answer to #2

In general, the onset of puberty is a source of tension for adolescents as they mature physically and sexually long before they are ready to support themselves financially and far ahead of psychological maturity and independence. Additionally, the steep rise in hormones during puberty may increase the risk for psychological problems such as depression and aggression.
The implications of early or late onset of puberty vary based on gender. For girls, early onset of puberty can be disadvantageous and even dangerous. Early maturing girls are more at risk for suicide attempts, problems at school, alcohol and drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, and other serious problems. One of the major concerns is that girls who are early developers tend to hang out with older cliques and crowds, which puts them at risk for other problems. Another concern is that girls who develop early are likely to experience more psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression. In terms of later health problems, girls who experience puberty at a very young age are most at risk for breast cancer later in life. In contrast, girls who develop late do not seem to be at a disadvantage compared to their peers, though they may worry that something is wrong with them.
Boys who mature early tend to be more popular with their peers and have higher levels of self-esteem compared to late bloomers. Similar to girls, boys who develop early are likely to have more delinquent behavior and are more at risk for alcohol and cigarette use. Boys who mature early are more likely to socialize with an older peer group, which can lead to trouble. Boys who mature later may have lower self-esteem during adolescence, but they mature into adults who are more creative, tolerant, and perceptive.

Answer to #3

Most girls experience menarche between the ages of 11 and 14. However, some girls may be as young as 7 or as old as 26. The secular trend is the trend for menarche and other physical changes associated with puberty to be experienced earlier with each new generation. For example, a girl in 1930 was most likely to experience menarche at age 13.2. A girl in 1990 was most likely to experience menarche at age 12.5. There are several theories about the cause of the secular trend: better nutrition and medical care, or more toxins in the environment that act like hormones to stimulate changes.

Answer to #4

The myelination process during adolescence results in information being able to move faster in the frontal cortex. Also, during adolescence there is an increase in neural connections followed by a pruning down to fewer, more selective and strong connections. Each adolescent's experiences and choices affect which connections will get wired together for efficiency and which connections will be pruned away. Areas of the brain become more integrated and connected in these networks of associations.
The changes are not complete until early adulthood, so adolescents often have trouble avoiding risks and controlling impulses. This can be explained by the pace of development for two key systems involved in making sound decisions about risky behaviors and controlling impulsive behaviorthe limbic system and the prefrontal cortex of the brain. The limbic system develops earlier; it is involved with emotions and reward-seeking/novelty/risk-taking/sensation-seeking behaviors. The prefrontal lobe takes more time to develop; it is involved with judgment and decision making.
As the limbic system matures, adolescents become more responsive to pleasure and emotional stimulation. In fact, adolescents appear to need more intense emotional stimulation than either children or adults, so these young people are set up for taking risks and seeking thrills.

Answer to #5

Drug abuse is a significant problem among adolescents. The rate of usage is high among high school students. According to one study, 47 of 12th graders reported having used alcohol and illicit drugs and 45 reported having used tobacco. Another study showed that 66 of 12th graders reported having been drunk at least one time during the past year. There is a distinction between one-time users and abusers, but accurate data are difficult to acquire.
Abusing drugs is especially dangerous for African American males. In one study that followed a sample of adolescents from ages 19 to 27, about 33 of the African American young men who abused drugs died by age 27, compared to 3 for White males.
Numerous approaches to prevention have been explored. Providing information or scare tactics such as the DARE drug prevention program seems to have little positive effect and may even encourage curiosity and experimentation. One overwhelmingly frequent finding is that after taking into account students' prior drug use and personal characteristics, disengagement from school and poor teacherstudent relations were associated with subsequent drug use and other risky health behaviors.
The most promising prevention programs use developmentally appropriate language and concepts; teach students to resist social pressure; provide accurate information about rates of behavior (not everyone is doing it); use interactive teaching methods such as role-playing or small groups; provide training in skills that help in many situations; give thorough coverage of the topic with follow-up; and practice cultural sensitivity.

Answer to #6

B

Answer to #7

A

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