High School (ages 14-18) – Cultivating Communities for Change

High School

14–18 years of age

During the high school years, teens are working towards identity formation and independence. Puberty, hormonal changes, and brain development towards an adult body and brain are underway. Reasoning skills and emotional intelligence are progressing. Peer relationships are important and teens might begin to explore romantic relationships during this time.

Milestones

Developmental Milestones

The following milestones, including cognitive, social/emotional, and physical domains, are markers of a child’s development from infancy on into adolescence. They are used to help determine if a child is undergoing typical development and/or if support may be helpful for them.

Milestones

What is happening cognitively?

Cognitive skills continue to expand during adolescence. Teen’s brains have started the process of strengthening connections that are used often while pruning away those that are used less often. This process of cognitive pruning starts at the back of the brain and moves to the front, where decision-making happens. Teenagers might make impulsive decisions or take risks due to an increase in dopamine in their brains. However, they are better able to learn from these risks and are also developing their ability to think logically, understand emotional cues, see the world from different perspectives, and have a clearer view of their future.

Typically children at this developmental stage can:

take risks and learn from them
express strong emotions
follow routines on their own
juggle the responsibilities of home, school, extracurricular activities, social engagements, and/or work
set goals for the future and enact plans to achieve them

reason/anticipate in advance the consequence of choices and make adjustments accordingly (e.g., to avoid getting in trouble)
increase their problem-solving abilities
think about abstract issues such as morals, values, religion, and political or social justice issues
question or challenge rules

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Milestones

What is happening socially and emotionally?

In high school, youth continue working towards independence. Youth are developing their identity, which can involve trying out new activities, hobbies, and interests along with forming their own personal set of values. Teens continue to spend more time with friends and may have a close friend group. The time teens spend with family and caregivers decreases. Teens are also likely to show interest in or enter into romantic relationships during this period.

Typically at this developmental stage teens:

develop their identity
spend more time with friends and develop close friendships
are better able to resist peer pressure
form their own personal values
want more privacy from family
spend less time with caregivers

have an increased ability to express their emotions and show that they care
experience Intense emotions
have increasing knowledge about romantic relationships and sex
might masturbate in private
might show physical affection or be physically intimate with a same-age peer
might enter romantic relationship with peer

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Milestones

What is happening physically?

During high school, youth continue to develop with puberty finishing for most girls during this period. Hormone levels will continue to change, height and weight might increase, body hair appears, sweat production increases, and acne is often seen. During high school, many boys will start to grow facial hair. For a child between 14 and 18 years old, fine motor skills will have mostly developed in relation to feeding, and adolescents will be developing and fine-tuning motor skills through activities such as competitive sports, learning to drive a vehicle, or playing musical instruments.

Typically at this developmental stage:

girls’ growth spurt slows around 16 and they finish puberty between 15 and 17
breasts develop fully between ages 12 and 18
boys' growth spurt peaks around age 13 ½ and slows around age 18
pubic hair growth, as well as armpit, leg, chest, and facial hair, begins in boys at about age 12, and reaches adult patterns at about 17 to 18 years
girls body fat and boys muscle mass increases

both boys and girls voices lower, with the boys voices lowering much more
sweat glands become more active
hormonal changes may cause acne
boys may begin to notice that their penis, testicles, and scrotum grow as early as age 9; by 17 or 18, their genitals are usually at their adult size and shape

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