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Adolescence, Health, and Sexuality

 
Youth Voice
What makes a good relationship between a young person and an adult?
Someone you can trust

Someone you can confide in

Relates to you or at least tries

Direct and not judgmental

Adults can be better to talk to because they are better listeners

Adults should never say "back in my day" when we ask for advice...we often can't relate

Adults should realize that times are different

Sometimes we just need adults to listen to us and not try to fix everything

Adults shouldn't act like our generation is so bad...they raised us

- New York City members of the
ACT Youth Network

Understanding Adolescence

Understanding AdolescenceAdolescence
So many changes happen in the pre-teen, teen, and young adult years! In this section, find information about the stages of adolescent development, including the development of identity and sexuality.

Sexual Health
What does it mean to be a sexually healthy adolescent? Here you'll find a definition of adolescent sexual health, along with many resources to support sexual health programming.

Mental Health
In adolescence mental health is typically characterized by a roller coaster of emotional and psychological highs and lows. This page offers a brief overview of mental health disorders and positive mental health in adolescence.

Demographics
Are you looking for a statistical profile of youth in the United States? The extensive Demographics section provides selected statistics regarding U.S. youth, as well as links to data sources specific to New York State. Links and endnotes connect you to rich resources for further information.

Featured Resources

Adolescent Brain Development (PDF: 130K; accessible format)
This popular fact sheet presents research showing that the teen brain is not a finished product, but a work in progress.

Adolescent Romantic Relationships (PDF: 128K; accessible format)
In this article, Sarah Sorensen discusses the importance of romantic relationships in adolescence.

Healthy Adolescent Sexual Development (29 minutes; PowerPoint presentation: 1.2M)
In this narrated presentation, Richard Kreipe, MD, is our guide to the key biological, psychological, social, and behavioral features of adolescent sexual development.

Teen Dating Violence (PDF: 128K; accessible format)
In this article, Jane Powers and Erica Kerman summarize the scope of the dating violence problem, the role of gender, risk factors, and prevention strategies.

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