Adolescents: Theoretical and Helping Perspectives

271 Pages·1985·7.448 MB·English

by  Inger P. Davis (auth.)

ADOLESCENTS: Theoretical and
Helping
Perspectives
International Series in
Social Welfare
Series Editor:
William J. Reid
State University of New York at Albany
Advisory Editorial Board:
Werner W. Boehm
Rutgers, The State University
New Brunswick, N.J., USA
Naomi Golan
University of Haifa
ISRAEL
Tilda Goldberg
Policy Studies Institute
London, England, UK
Francis J. Turner
Laurentian University
Ontario, CANADA
Previously Published Books in the Series:
Crane, J.A., The Evaluation of Social
Policies, 1982
Schuerman, J.R., Multivariate Analysis in
the Human Services, 1983.
Hollingsworth, J.R., and Hanneman, R.,
Centralization and Power in Social
Service Delivery Systems, 1983
Stein, T.J. and Rzepnlcki, T., Decision
Making in Child Welfare Services, 1984
Clarke, R. and Hope, T., Coping with
Burglary, 1984
Sherman, E., Working with Older
Persons, 1984
ADOLESCENTS
Theoretical and
Helping
Perspectives
Inger P. Davis
San Diego State University
College of Human Services
School of Social Work
Kluwer·NIJhoff Publishing
a member of the Kluwer Academic Publishers Group
Boston/Dordrecht/Lancaster
Distributors for North America:
KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS
190 Old Derby Street
H Ingham, Massachusetts 02043, U.S.A.
Distributors outside North America:
KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS GROUP
Distribution Centre
P.O. Box 322
3300 AH Dordrecht,
THE NETHERLANDS
Library 01 Congress Cataloging In Publication Data
Davis, Inger P.
Adolescents: theoretical and helping perspectives.
(International series In social welfare)
Bibliography: p.
Includes Index.
1. Youth - United States. 2. Adolescent psychology.
3. Interpersonal relations. 4. Youth - Services lor - United
States. I. Title. II. Series.
HQ796.029 1985 305.2'35 84·20175
ISBN-13: 978-94-010-8706-3 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-009-4984-3
001:10.1007/978-94-009-4984-3
Copyright © 1985 by Kluwer-Nljhoff Publishing.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1985
No part of this book may be reproduced In any form by print,
photoprlnt, microfilm, or any other means without written
permission 01 the publisher.
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
1
Introduction 1
A Few Statistics on the Adolescent Population 2
Trends in the Research Literature on Adolescence 3
General Purpose of Book and Sources of
Materials Used 5
Plan for the Book 6
I
Adolescent Development and Psychosocial Tasks 9
2
History, Facts, and Theories 11
A Few Historical Pointers 12
Physical Growth 16
Cognitive Development 20
Twentieth Century Adolescent Developmental
Theories 25
Summary 40
3
Developmental Tasks of Adolescence In Relation
to the Family 43
The Havighurst Formulation of Developmental
Tasks 43
Family-Adolescent Relations 46
Summary 73
v
vi CONTENTS
4
Developmental Tasks of Adolescence:
Peers, Identity Achievement, and Some Gender
and Cultural Differences 77
Adolescent Peer Relations 78
Identity Achievement 86
Gender Differences in Adolescent Development 95
Social Class and Cultural Differences in
Adolescent Development 100
Summary 105
II
Services and Interpersonal Interventions Assisting
Troubled Adolescents and Their Families 109
5
Educational and Supportive Services for
Adolescents LIving with Their Families 111
Educational and Supportive Services 113
Schools 114
Medico·Social Services 120
Community Mental Health Care 123
Other Community Based Public and Private
Services 128
Adolescence and the Law 130
6
Out·of·Home Care for Adolescents 135
Adolescents in Foster Family Care 138
Adolescents in Community Group Residences 145
Adolescents in Institutions 146
Parental Involvement 153
Adolescents on the Adoption Scene 155
7
Interpersonal Interventions 167
Family versus an Individualistic Perspective 168
Empirical Foundations 170
Assessment 172
Interventive Modalities 175
8
Interventions with Specific Groups of Adolescents 193
Divorce and Stepfamily Counseling 193
Adolescents in Out·of·Home Care 197
Dynamics and Treatment of Runaway Youth 203
A ClOSing Word 214
CONTENTS vii
Additional Readings on Interventions with
Physically and Sexually AbuHd AdoIescants
and Their Famill .. 217
Bibliography 219
Name Index 253
Subject Index 261
Acknowledgments
Appreciation is expressed to William J. Reid, editor of the International
Series in Social Welfare for his encouragement and unintrusive and con
structive suggestions. The Office of Human Development Services, Depart
ment of Health and Human Services provided financial support in the early
stages of this project (Child Welfare Teaching Grant, 1979 #8-1092377,
1980 #9-1092376, and 1982 #1-1092377). Elsie Herman, Hope Logan, and
Lorraine Newbrough, former colleagues of mine at the School of Social
Work, San Diego State University, participated directly in one or more of
these grant supported child welfare projects. Their contributions are
gratefully acknowledged.
Several graduate seminars made use of early versions of this book, which
has been enriched by the students' ideas and practice experiences. Graduate
research assistants helped in several phases of this project: Laura Haslam,
Sandra A. Parsons, Linda Peterson, and Diana S. Smith deserve special
mention. I am grateful for contributions from many other persons, social
service agency representatives, practitioners from various disciplines, and,
not least, for what I have learned directly from troubled adolescents and
their families.
ix
ADOLESCENTS: Theoretical and
Helping
Perspectives
1
INTRODUCTION
This book deals with ways of helping families cope with the difficulty of rais
ing adolescents. Professional social workers - along with other human ser
vice professionals - encounter these families in numerous settings: child
welfare and family service agencies, hospitals, schools, community mental
health clinics, residential treatment centers, juvenile halls and detention
centers, recreational and vocational training organizations, and many others.
While families from all walks of life may be found in these settings, families
who have suffered the additional stresses of poverty, discrimination, and the
consequences of physical and mental illness are commonly overrepresented.
Even under the best of circumstances, the adolescent years often put the
strongest family structures to the test - sometimes to the breaking point. A
recent national study of over one thousand average, middle-income, two
parent families reviewed the strengths, stresses, and satisfactions of the family
life cycle (Olson and McCubbin 1983). As many would expect, families with
adolescents were found to experience more stress and lower levels of family
adaptability, cohesion, and marital and family satisfaction than any other
developmental stage. The families with adolescents who fared best were those
with such marital resources as good communication and conflict resolution
skills, satisfying sexual relations, and good parent-adolescent communication.
1