How Well Do You Know the Young People With Whom You Interact?

A quick, credible checklist to assist you

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Youth between the ages of ten and fifteen are characterized by their diversity as they move through the pubertal growth cycle at varying times and rates, and while their brains are still developing (until their mid-twenties).

Yet, as a group, they reflect important developmental characteristics that have major implications for parents, educators, and others who care for them, and seek to promote their healthy growth and positive development.

The following are what research suggests are notable characteristics of young adolescents in the physical, cognitive, moral, psychological, and social-emotional dimensions of development, with some points accenting their spiritual development.

Although most young adolescents will exhibit these characteristics to some degree, the relative importance of each characteristic can vary widely depending on the individual.

Gender, race, ethnicity, and other cultural influences, family and economic situations, learning and physical disabilities, a young adolescent’s temperament, and qualities of his or her community or neighborhood are just some of the factors that, working together, give these developmental dimensions and characteristics their personal and social…