Benchmarks
The high school years are a
unique time in a teenager's life.
At this stage, teenagers
experience a variety of changes
that will help shape them into
the adults they will become.
Teenagers undergo changes in
behavior, physical growth, thinking,
and social dynamics. They are
beginning to ask tough questions,
grasp meanings and connections,
and establish personal values,
beliefs, and boundaries.
Spiritual
Teenagers approach their faith and
topics connected to faith through a
questioning lens. Developmentally,
they are asking complex questions
and trying to understand the
reasons for things as they search
for truth and solidify their beliefs.
Social
Socially, high schoolers are
focusing on discovering who
they are and how they fit into
the world around them. This can
lead to teens trying out different
groups, clubs, activities, and
friend groups. Interest in romantic
relationships also increases for
teenagers during this time.
Emotional
Teenagers are becoming more
aware of their own feelings as well
as the feelings of others. During
this stage, teens are confronted
by many emotions, and because
of hormonal increases, teens
tend to be easily swayed by
these emotions. They may have
difficulty making decisions. They
are shifting from insecurity to self-
confidence and acceptance of who
they are throughout this stage.
Intellectual
Teenage brain growth is similar
to that of early childhood. Teens
experience the development of
new brain cells, the organization of
those brain cells as they are used,
and the building of connections
between brain cells. This leads to
the ability of teenagers to learn in
more advanced ways and to gain
new skills. The planning, abstract-
thinking, and decision-making part
of the brain is the last to develop.
Physical
High schoolers are undergoing a
variety of physical changes as they
transition to adulthood, and these
can come at different ages for
each teenager. They experience
a surge of hormones, leading to
bigger and stronger bones, fertility
changes, and the ability to sustain
more stress on their bodies.
High School • 2 • cph.org • Copyright © 2019 Concordia Publishing House
