African American Boys by Faye Z. Belgrave & Joshua K. Brevard

Author:Faye Z. Belgrave & Joshua K. Brevard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer New York, New York, NY

Puberty

Puberty marks changes in the child’s biological, social, and emotional health. Puberty is defined as the period of transition from childhood to adulthood, in which an adolescent becomes physiologically capable of reproduction (NICHD, 2013). Although puberty varies for children and adolescents, it generally takes place between the ages of 9 and 16 for boys and between the ages of 8 and 14 for girls. Physiological signs of puberty in boys include pubic hair growth, development of muscle mass, a deeper voice, and facial hair.

Onset of puberty is earlier for both African American boys and girls than for children from other racial and ethnic groups (Sun et al., 2002). Pubic-hair growth is one of the first signs of puberty among boys. Herman-Giddens, Wang, and Koch (2001) found that the mean ages of boys for onset of hair growth was 11.2 and 12.0 for African American and White boys, respectively. However, while puberty starts earlier for African American boys than for boys of other racial groups, the age to full maturity is unchanged. This suggests that for African American boys, puberty takes longer to complete. It is not clear why these racial/ethnic differences exist. Puberty also starts earlier among African American girls than girls from other racial/ethnic groups (Anderson & Must, 2005). A higher incidence of obesity may be the reason for earlier puberty among African American girls.

Puberty not only changes a child physically, but also marks a transition in how a child reacts and behaves within his social environments, including interactions with peers, family members, school, and community. During this period, boys begin to seek independence and to rely on and affiliate with peers more than family (see Chap. 2 on Self and Identity). They may also begin to lose some interest in school and spend more time away from home. As will be discussed later in this chapter, it is the lessening of school engagement and the time away from parental supervision and monitoring that provides African American boys and adolescents with opportunities to engage in more risky and health-compromising practices.

One of the consequences of earlier puberty for African American boys is that it is accompanied with increases in behaviors associated with poorer psychosocial outcomes. Ge, Brody, Conger, Conger, and Simons (2006) found that among African American children, puberty was associated with increased anxiety, more oppositional behaviors, and more increased interest in sexual activities. Increased sexual interest and early sexual behaviors are risk factor for several adverse health outcomes including sexually transmitted infections (STI), HIV, and getting someone pregnant. Increased risky behaviors during puberty are likely due to children becoming more engaged in peer activities that promote greater risk. Another consequence of puberty for African American boys is that they become subject to society’s expectations for African American adult males, which unfortunately can be stereotypical and discriminatory, both of which can compromise their health.

In overview, puberty is accompanied by physical changes and also changes in the child’s psychosocial environment. African American boys show signs of puberty earlier than boys from other groups and it takes him longer to complete puberty.

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