PERDEV H4

• As adolescents, personal growth and development are crucial for preparing us for adult life
• Significant people who can impact our development

  • Peers
  • Parents
  • Siblings
  • Friends
  • Teachers
  • Community leaders
• Significant people


  • They can greatly impact our personal growth and development
• Evaluating your development


  1. Identify significant people in your life

  2. Reflect on how they have influenced your personal growth
• Understanding the impact of significant people can help us better appreciate their role in our development and find ways to improve ourselves
• Becoming a capable and responsible adolescent requires the development of key skills and traits
• There are various negative influences around us and how these negative influences can negatively hamper our personal development and growth
• Negative influences (vices)


  • Drugs
  • Smoking
• Erik Erikson's theory


  A psychosocial theory of development that proposes individuals go through eight stages of development from infancy to old age, with each stage involving a crisis or challenge that must be resolved
• Successful resolution of these crises is essential to healthy psychological development
• Each stage in Erikson's theory is connected to "Development through the help of Significant People"
• Trust vs. Mistrust (Infancy stage)

  • Developing a sense of trust in the world and the people around us is crucial
  • If the care the infant receives is consistent, predictable and reliable, they will develop a sense of trust which will carry with them to other relationships, and they will be able to feel secure even when threatened
  • If these needs are not consistently met, mistrust, suspicion, and anxiety may develop
• Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Early childhood stage)


  • Developing a sense of autonomy and independence is important
  • The child is developing physically and becoming more mobile, and discovering that he or she has many skills and abilities
• Initiative vs. Guilt (Preschool years stage)

  • Developing a sense of initiative and purpose is key
  • The primary feature involves the child regularly interacting with other children at school
  • Central to this stage is play, as it provides children with the opportunity to explore their interpersonal skills through initiating activities
• Industry vs. Inferiority (Elementary school years stage)

  • Developing a sense of competence and industry is vital
  • The child's peer group will gain greater significance and will become a major source of the child's self-esteem
• Identity vs. Role Confusion (Adolescence stage)


  • Developing a strong sense of identity and figuring out who we are as individuals is crucial
  • This is a major stage of development where the child has to learn the roles he will occupy as an adult
  • The adolescent will re-examine his identity and try to find out exactly who he or she is
• Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young adulthood stage)

  • Developing close, meaningful relationships with others is important
• Generativity vs. Stagnation (Middle adulthood stage)

  • Making meaningful contributions to society and future generations is crucial
  • Success leads to feelings of usefulness and accomplishment, while failure results in shallow involvement in the world
• Ego Integrity vs. Despair (Late adulthood stage)

  • Looking back on one's life and feeling a sense of satisfaction or regret is important
• Throughout each of these stages, significant people play a crucial role in shaping an individual's development
• By providing support, guidance, and encouragement, significant people can help individuals successfully navigate each stage of development and achieve their full potential
• Significant people during teenage development

  • Parents
  • Siblings
  • Friends
  • Teachers
  • Community leaders
• Parents


  • They play the largest role in a person's mental, emotional, physical, and social development
  • They teach you the first valuable lessons in life that became an integral part of your personality as you continue to discover the world
• Siblings


  • They extend valuable help whenever you are in need of assistance
  • They teach you the concept of socialization, mutual understanding, and respect
• Friends


  • They give us a sense of belongingness
  • They help us improve our social connection, emotional stability, and inspire our intellectual capacity
  • True friends support only what is good and reject what is not
• Teachers


  • They help you improve your intellectual and emotional capacity to handle difficult situations in life
  • They guide you to understand the valuable lessons about life that would last for a lifetime
  • They set an example to learners who need much guidance in school
• Community leaders


  • They inspire adolescents to get involved with community services through outreach programs, social activities, and volunteer work
  • They model innovation to help improve the community whom they serve
• Common vices (negative influences)

  • Smoking
  • Drugs
• Smoking


  • Lung cancer
  • Heart disease
  • Bad breath
  • Wrinkles and premature aging
  • Respiratory problems
  • Reduced sense of taste and smell
• Drugs


  • Brain damage
  • Tooth decay
  • Skin sores and infections
  • Weight loss
  • Organ damage
  • Respiratory problems
  • Overdose
• Proverbs 27:17: '"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."'
• 1 Corinthians 6:12: '"I have the right to do anything," you say—but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything"—but I will not be mastered by anything."'
• Proverbs 27:17 and 1 Corinthians 6:12 both emphasize the importance of significant people in our development and the need to avoid vices
• By recognizing the potential harm of vices and seeking the support of significant people in our lives, we can better navigate the challenges of personal development and lead fulfilling lives