ABSTRACT
This book primarily deals with the adolescent period of development. Adolescence is regarded as a period of transitions between childhood and adulthood, and may be broadly divided into three phases; early (11-14 years), middle (15-18 years) and late (19-21 years) (Steinberg 1993). Adolescents must deal with a range of biological, social, emotional, and psychological transitions in order to successfully enter the adult world (Coleman and Roker, 1998). Historically, adolescence was regarded as a period of ‘sturm und drang’ (storm and stress). Hall (1904) suggested that it was normal for adolescents to alternate between extremes of sorrow and exuberance, and shift unexpectedly between friendly altruism and selfi sh hoarding. However, adolescent storm and stress may have been given disproportionate emphasis by studying individuals already in turmoil (Offer 1969). Researchers came to recognize the need to examine both negative and positive aspects of the transitions adolescents encounter (Coles 1995). Whereas certain individuals may have heightened sensitivity to change during adolescence, others may have suffi cient personal resources to successfully cope with the transitions they face in order to make a healthy and successful entry into adulthood (Graber and Brooks-Gunn 1997).
