Counselling Central

Coleman (1995) describes adolescence as a difficult stage to define because it is to some degree artificial. What we do know about the current definition of adolescence, or being a teenager, is that it is a recent invention of western society.

The word ‘Adolescence’ comes from the Greek word adolescere which means ‘to grow into maturity’. Some psychologists believe that the term was first used in its current context at the end of the Second World War, but Coleman disputes this. He believes the conflicts between children and parents during adolescence, and the issues surrounding these conflicts, have existed since the time of Plato. Coleman believes the word ‘teenager’ came about at the end of the Second World War, and this can be seen in the icons of the 1950′s.

The first formal psychological definition of adolescence was published in 1904, so in theory it must have been around before then. However, it means different things to different societies. In Samoa, for example, children make the transition from childhood to adulthood with little trauma or stress, and the word ‘teenager’ doesn’t appear in their vocabulary. In western societies this stage is often defined as a period of rebellion, breaking away from parental rules and finding one’s place in society as an adult. Coleman believes that some form of transitional stage between childhood and adulthood is found in most societies.