Understand and Prevent the Adultification of Teenagers

Playing with friends at a public park, worrying about the first day of school after summer break, or enjoying winter vacation with friends and family are all experiences we may connect with in childhood and adolescence. We envision it as a time to learn how to manage our emotions, how to socialize, and how we fit into society. Perhaps most importantly, it’s thought of as a period in which we’re safe to make our own mistakes. But for some kids, that is not the reality. Adultification occurs when adults thrust kids into situations that force them to take responsibility they may not be ready for – when they are treated as older than they really are.

Why the Impact of Adultification Matters

To illustrate this, let’s paint the fictional story of Marco, a Mexican-American kid from the Bronx, New York. Marco is 14-years-old. His parents both work more than full-time, and his family situation forces him to care for his 8-year-old sister, Erika. While Marco does this out of love for his little sister, this newfound responsibility affects his life. He spends less time doing homework so he can take his sister to and from school. He sees his friends less often as he has to shop for food and cook her meals. Marco has taken on the responsibilities of Erika’s parents. In addition to this, adults in Marco’s life have started to treat him like an adult due to his transformation. When Marco gets frustrated, confused, or makes a mistake, people no longer assume “childish innocence.” Instead, they label it “aggression” or” incompetence.” Instead of realizing “he’s just a kid,” they say, “he should know better.” He might even be unfairly or harshly punished. This can really change the way he seems himself. He is working so hard to contribute to his household, but instead of seeing himself as a developing person entitled to both joy and imperfections, he may begin to believe he lets others down if he makes all-too-human mistakes.

Though a fictional story, it rings true to too many kids throughout our society, and its effects are far-reaching. This study reveals treating children as adults can negatively impact their bodies and minds. Parents and primary care providers are urged to identify and recognize when they are treating children as more mature than they really may be! The health effects of adultification range from hypertension to depression and even suicidal tendencies. Those serious and negative impacts should be enough justification to want to address it as a society. There are things we can do to help stop this widespread issue.

How to Combat Adultification

As community members, we can identify – or take notice – and interject – or get involved and do something about it. Going back to Marco’s story, Martha, a teacher at Marco’s school and an adult in the community, notices (identifies) that Marco is struggling to get his homework done. She asks him about his struggles, and he explains that his responsibilities are taking up time he would use for homework. Martha gives him the benefit of extending his homework deadline. She also reminds him that he deserves to benefit from adolescence, to enjoy being young and stretch into new experiences. He should be allowed to make mistakes and recover and grow from them. She empathizes that his parents are hardworking people and may be doing the best they can for their family, but that he doesn’t deserve unfair treatment. While this is a first step, others in Marco’s community can make a huge impact if they help identify his struggles and try to interject. Every marathon begins with a first step.

As for adolescents going through adultification and faced with handling the unjust responsibilities of adulthood – it’s vital to know that people want to help you. There are many communities where others recognize your adolescence and want to see you happy.

Learn to Advocate for Yourself

Additionally, learning to be your own advocate by speaking up for your needs can help tremendously. Building the strength to help yourself helps enable you to seek out others who will also help you. In learning to self-advocate, you will realize you don’t have to accept other peoples’ judgments of you. You can internalize your own adolescent identity with pride, and you can choose to reject the notion that you’re stuck where you are. There is tremendous strength in accepting that you’ve been mistreated and in seeking the help of others. Let that positive journey begin. 

Adolescents are our future. Yet, adultification can diminish hope and place unjust expectations on teenagers. Anyone can make a difference – all we need to do is identify and interject. 

This article was written by Hector Martinez, a member of our Youth Advisory Board.