Teen Choices and Human Services Ethical standards

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Dear Student,
Hi and thank you for using Brainmass. The solution below however takes a general approach from the work of R and S Feldman (who are both social psychologists). As always, to make your final work course-specific, review your class materials once again and don't forget to include poignant ideas from there. Good luck!

Sincerely,
OTA 105878/Xenia Jones
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Adolescent Years: Poor Choices

Adolescence, according to Feldman is a critical period in the development of morality and ethical standards as it weaves into the formation of identity and personality. He explains Kohlberg's theory of moral development which was derived from the work of Jan Piaget - stages of the human life cycle wherein at each stage, ethical and moral reasoning/positions are shaped and developed. The brain functions according to the varied changes in the body and this is manifested in the way moral and ethical positions are expressed. Kolhberg's Stages 2 and 3 are of interest in the case of understanding the choices we make in our adolescent years. Our experiences at this stage shape us and while we enjoy a sense of individualism growing towards a need for social approval to be 'proper, acceptable and good' in what we do, being that it is a learning stage we can make very poor choices, choices that have the potential of affecting us in the long term. The trauma of these poor choices have psychosocial effects. Consider for example the fact that this stage is a period of physical, social and sexual maturation. Our relationships with our family and community change and our choices, including wants and needs as well as fears are affected by these changes. So, how is it possible that despite the poor choices we make at this stage, the risk of long term effects are not high? One of the obvious area of development in the psychosocial sphere is peer relationships, we learn how to behave in peer groups and then we begin to stabilize those relationships, taking on roles. But peer groups can deeply influence us to make very poor choices including using and then becoming addicted to illegal narcotics as well as developing destructive behavior and attitudes. It is however also at this ...