Late Adolescents

Late adolescents finally come quite close to adulthood to have a firm identity and more stable interests. Soon-to-be-adults and already adult kids attain greater emotional stability finally and have a more developed sense of humor. They are able to keep a little patience when there is a delay in gratification of their desires, and are able to think ideas through. They learn to express their feelings in words, compromise and make independent decisions. Unlike the earlier stages of childhood, late adolescents show greater concern for others. They become more self-reliant and take pride in their work. They start finalizing their thoughts about the role they want to play in their lives and become more concerned about their future.

Change In The Point of Views
By late teens, adolescents manifest clear sexual identity and are concerned with serious relationships. They are able to love others tenderly and have a capacity for sensual love. Self-esteem and personal dignity become important to them; they want that they should be respected and treated as adults. They can even offer useful insight on many things, and can set goals for themselves and follow them through. By this time, teenagers learn self-regulations and accept social institutions and cultural traditions more easily. Though, teenagers may vary from the descriptions mentioned above, depending on their nature and upbringing. There can be mental and emotional problems involved, but most of them are treatable with the help of an expert professional.

High-Risk Behaviors
Late adolescents represent a unique period of transition between youth and adulthood. They are usually considered to be a healthy group but many chronic medical problems may also begin during this time. A few health problems, such as eating disorders, are actually unique to this group of late adolescents. This is the age when they develop high-risk behaviors. They want to face challenges which are even risky for them as to show that they are no more kids now. The people in the late adolescent group are most likely to be without health insurance. Thus, there is the need for more effective prevention programs for late adolescents. But make sure that these programs must consider each risk factor, including their high-risk behaviors.

Here is given the list of traits which late adolescents develop in their behavior & outlook for life. Go through it, and understand the changing behavior of your child in this stage of life.

So, being parents, you must support your child in late adolescent period. If they are not guided properly by their parents & elders, this changing stage can even make them build negative attitude towards this natural phenomenon.