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Human Development
There is an intricate interplay between biological factors and social contexts in shaping human development, particularly during middle childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. Understanding these developmental stages is vital for grasping the challenges and experiences encountered by young people, encompassing physical, cognitive, and emotional transformations. By acknowledging the influence of peers, family, and society, we can effectively support youths in navigating these pivotal life phases, promoting their holistic well-being and identity formation.
For the sake of understanding our target group of young people and enabling us to take their perspective, we will take a closer look at the periods of interest, namely the middle childhood, the adolescence, and the early adulthood. Middle childhood is not a part of our target group in youth work, but it is important to understand what might have happened in the life of a person before they entered youth (work). Furthermore, basic knowledge about middle childhood will help you understand if a young person lacks some of the development from this earlier period.
Human being is a social being and being a part of social and cultural structure heavily influences our behaviour, however, we should not forget that we are also a biological structure with the world on its own. Adults tend to forget about the struggles we went through while growing up, which happened due to changing bodies. Some were not even aware that some struggles were connected to biology. That is why this chapter is important not to skip. Take it as a short refreshment course about the development of the human body and how this contributes not only to the sexual health but also to the mental and physical health of the young person.