Puberty is the time when a child moves through a series of significant, natural and healthy changes. These physical, psychological and emotional changes are a sign that a child is moving from childhood towards adulthood.
Physical changes in puberty and adolescence broadly includes:
- physical growth and development inside and outside the body
- changes to the sexual organs
- brain changes
- social and emotional changes.
Some of the social changes in puberty and adolescence includes responsibility, independence, new experiences, values, sexual identity, influences and etc..
The emotional changes include moods and feelings, sensitivity to others, self-consciousness and decision-makingĀ
The psychological changes of adolescence include the appearance of new cognitive structures for instance the ability to think abstractly and introspectively, establishment of moral values and norms and a coming to terms with the developmental tasks that are specific to this period.