Table 2.

Developmental tasks of adolescence

	Biological	Psychological	Social
Early adolescence	Early puberty (girls: breast bud and pubic hair development, start of growth spurt; boys: testicular enlargement, start of genital growth)	Concrete thinking but early moral concepts; progression of sexual identity development (sexual orientation); possible homosexual peer interest; reassessment of body image	Emotional separation from parents; start of strong peer identification; early exploratory behaviours (smoking, violence)
Mid-adolescence	Girls: mid-late puberty and end of growth spurt; menarche; development of female body shape with fat deposition Boys: mid-puberty, spermarche and nocturnal emissions; voice breaks; start of growth spurt	Abstract thinking, but self still seen as “bullet proof”; growing verbal abilities; identification of law with morality; start of fervent ideology (religious, political)	Emotional separation from parents; strong peer identification; increased health risk (smoking, alcohol, etc); heterosexual peer interest; early vocational plans
Late adolescence	Boys: end of puberty; continued increase in muscle bulk and body hair	Complex abstract thinking; identification of difference between law and morality; increased impulse control; further development of personal identify; further development or rejection of religious and political ideology	Development of social autonomy; intimate relationships; development of vocational capability and financial independence

^*Adapted from McIntosh N, Helms, P, Smyth R, eds. Forfar and Arneil's textbook of paediatrics. 6th ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 2003: 1757-68.