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DEFINING ADOLESCENCE
The period of development that we call adolescence is an exciting one. It is filled with discovery, turmoil, growth toward independence, and the beginning of lifelong commitments. It is clearly a period of transition – from the dependence of childhood to the independence of adulthood. It is very difficult, however, to specify exactly when adolescence begins or when it ends.
We may choose to define adolescence in biological terms. In that case, adolescence begins with the onset of puberty (with sexual maturity and a readiness to reproduce) and ends with the end of physical growth. Or we may adopt a more psychological perspective. This approach emphasizes the development of the cognitions, feelings, and behaviors that characterize adolescence. Additionally, it is also possible to think about adolescence from a social perspective by examining the role of adolescents in society. Such views generally define adolescence in terms of being in-between – not yet an adult, but no longer a child. In this context, the period usually lasts from the early teen years through one's highest level of education, when the individual is thought to enter the adult world.
Actually, whether we accept a biological, psychological, or social approach to defining adolescence, we usually are talking about people between the ages of approximately 12 and 20. Some psychologists consider this a period of growth and positive change; others view adolescence as a period of great turmoil, stress, rebellion, and negativism.
Adolescence may very well be filled with conflict, storm, and stress, but it is also a period of adjustment that most of us manage to survive quite well. In fact, the picture of the troubled, rebellious, difficult, and uncooperative adolescent is probably more of a social stereotype than a reality.

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