As teens go through physical and mental changes, their relationships with family and friends also change.

• Families often adjust as teens want more independence and feel emotionally farther from their parents.
• Teens start focusing more on social life, moving from close friends of the same sex to larger groups of the same-sex friends.
• Later, friendships include more boys and girls together.
• When teens reach sexual maturity, their friendships change again to include more interest in dating and relationships.

Along with changing relationships with others, teens start to develop a new understanding of themselves. This new self-awareness includes changes in how they see their independence, identity and self-esteem.

Independence

• Making decisions and acting based on one’s own thinking and judgment
• Learn to solve problems independently
• Face new responsibilities and enjoy thinking and acting on their own.
• Think about their future — college, jobs, relationships and adult life.

Identity

• A sense of self or knowledge about one’s own personality and characteristics
• Developing a clear and secure personal identity
• Grows as teens get comfortable with their changing bodies, use their own judgement, make decisions and solve problems
• Struggles with identity happen when teens can’t resolve who they are physically, sexually or independently

Self-Esteem

• How much someone likes and values themselves
• Often dips early in adolescence due to body changes and new ways of thinking
• Become more aware of who they are and who they want to be
• Girls place more importance on attractiveness, which can impact their self-esteem
• Girls have lower self-esteem than boys during adolescence
• Self-esteem usually improves in late adolescence as teens develop a clearer sense of self

Increased Time with Friends

• Teens spend more time with friends than with family and often prefer it. They feel more understood and accepted by their peers.

Stronger Friendships

• Friendships shift from activity-based (in childhood) to being based on shared attitudes, values, loyalty, intimacy and educational interests.

Friend Similarities

• Close adolescent friendships tend to form between peers who are similar in personality, interests, social class and ethnic background.

Gender Differences

• Girls: More likely to have emotionally intimate, self-revealing friendships. These help them explore identity and sexuality.
• Boys: Friendships are often group-based and validated through shared actions rather than personal discussions.

Influences on Development

• Driven by sexual interest
• Shaped by social and cultural expectations, learned through observation and experience

Key Developmental Tasks

• Managing sexual and aggressive urges
• Discovering new, appealing romantic or love relationships

Sexual Behavior Patterns

• May include impulsivity
• Involves a range of experimental and exploratory behaviors
• Can lead to intercourse as maturity progresses

Gender Differences

• Biological and socialization differences lead males and females to have different expectations about relationships
• Can affect both current experiences and future sexual and romantic partnerships

End Goal

• Developing the capacity for a mutually satisfying, intimate relationship grounding in love and partnership

Key Developmental Task

• Achieving separation and independence from family as teens transition into adulthood

Shifting Perceptions

• Begin to see that parents/authority figures are not perfect
• Increases in critical thinking leads to questioning of parental guidance

Conflict Patterns

• Rebellion and conflict with parents is common and developmentally normal
• Girls are more likely to have frequent disagreements with mothers
• Boys (especially early-maturing) are more likely to argue with mothers than fathers

Relationship Shifts

• Over time, conflicts tend to decrease
• Mother-teen relationships tend to change more significantly than father-teen relationships

Peer Influence

• As independence grows, teens seek advice and emotional support from friends rather than parents