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TRANSITIONS TO ADULTHOOD
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As children grow into the second decade of life, the circle of influential people around them expands. During childhood the circle included parents, siblings, other family members and perhaps teachers; adolescence is a time when peers, workmates, and potential marriage partners begin to exert influence. The process by which individuals and institutions contribute to molding the outlook and behavior of young people is called socialization. The survey explored some of the agents of socialization affecting Egyptian adolescents.
KEY FINDINGS:
Family life: Overall, adolescents report spending a lot of time with their families and high levels of communication with their parents on issues such as illness and problems at school or work. Most also report feeling comfortable expressing their opinions to their parents and that their parents listen to and respect them. However, there is little communication with parents regarding the physical changes of puberty or other reproductive health matters (see below).
Peers/personality, development: A communicative and receptive family environment is correlated with the positive development of an adolescent's character, increasing her/his maturity level and coping resources. Adolescents who express their opinions openly to their families and who are respected when they do so are also more likely to express their opinions to friends and more able to resist peer group pressure. They are also more likely to have leadership qualities and are the most ambitious; that is, they are not very satisfied with their current situation but are much more optimistic about the future than many of their peers.
Mobility and physical activity: Almost 60 percent of boys but only 5 percent of girls report participating in a sports or physical activity (other than domestic chores) the day prior to the interview. Moreover, boys were found to have a greater level of mobility than girls; 48 during the day prior to the interview compared to only 12 percent of girls. Since regular physical activity is critical in maintaining overall health and enhancing self esteem, the low level of physical activity among girls is cause for concern and program action.
Exposure to the media: Adolescents report very high levels of exposure to the media, to television in particular (97%) but also to the radio (64%). Reading (other than for school) is not a widespread habit; only 15 percent report reading on the day preceding the interview.
