Development Psychology

Development Psychology
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Institutional Affiliation
Development Psychology
How much does emotional turbulence versus social hostility count as an explanation for teen suicide?
Adolescence is the stage where people go through the most emotionally turbulent time of their lives. It is a time when youths are struggling with issues related to self-esteem, alienation, self-doubt, and feelings among others (Coon, Mitterer & Martini, 2019). Emotionally turbulence is a major cause of suicide among the youths. As they struggle to find their identity, there is a high likelihood of committing suicide. The other cause of suicide is social hostility. People with social issues are likely to feel isolated and hence contemplate suicide due to increased depression.
Kohlberg’s Theory of Stages of Moral Development
Carol Gilligan who was a student of Lawrence Kohlberg felt that the developmental theory by her mentor did not address the issue of gender differences, probably because most of the participants in the study were male. She developed Gilligan’s theory of caring which addressed where she suggested the stages of the ethics of care (Coon, Mitterer & Martini, 2019). She described how actions could be identified as right or wrong. Among the principles of the care, the theory is the emphasis on universality and interconnectedness. Also, actions should be just, devoid of violence and inclusive of helping people who are in need. Care based morality is more prevalent in girls since they have a high connection to their mothers as such, girls worry less about issues of fairness.

Erikson on the hand developed eight stages of physical development that explain the developmental stages that each goes through from infancy to adulthood (Coon, Mitterer & Martini, 2019). These stages have an impact on the ego of a person.
Among the two theories, Gilligan’s theory has a better explanation of why adolescents are likely to turn to suicide. Due to the emotional turbulence that they go through, they need a lot of care that will aid in helping them overcome the phase (Coon, Mitterer & Martini, 2019). If they are bullied, their self-esteem will be greatly dented, and hence they might develop self-doubt and increase chances of committing suicide (Wang, 2016). However, when they experience care, they will have someone to share and talk about their worries, and this will help them improve their self-esteem. They should be given mentorship such that they will have someone close, they can freely share their worries with, as per Gilligan’s theory. They should be helped to overcome the emotional turbulence situations.
References
Coon, D., Mitterer, J.O., & Martini, T. (2019). Introduction to psychology: Gateways to mind and behavior (15th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
Wang, Y. (2016). After years of alleged bullying, an Ohio teen killed herself. Is her school district responsible? The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com