The effects of education on Moral Development

During adolescence, youth are experiencing rapid physical, psychological and emotional changes. They are also beginning to formulate their own values and search for a social identity. A social identity is one that defines who a person is within a society. The identity process is affected by peers and the type of education one receives. Adolescents that are informed about the consequences of engaging in sexual intercourse and involving oneself in delinquent behavior such as substance abuse, are able to formulate values and morals. Values are defined as principles, standards, or qualities that are considered to be worthwhile or desirable, such as gaining respect from others. Whereas morals are defined as "conforming to standards of what is right or just in behavior".

The government has enforced school systems to create programs that will teach adolescents about sex and drug use. Although these programs were formulated, not all were successful in preventing adolescents from engaging in sexual intercourse and/or using substances. Currently adolescents are gaining information about sexual values and norms from the media. Adolescents turned to the media, mainly the internet, because they can search for information about sex independently & discreetly (Bay-Cheng, 2001). The problem with adolescents searching the internet for information about sex is that not every web site present accurate information, which means that adolescents might develop a false belief about sexual behavior. 

In addition, the information that adolescents are receiving from the internet is being reinforced through peer interactions. During adolescence, teens are spending less time with their family and more time with their friends. If these adolescents are not educated about sex and drugs from their parents or school, then they will get it from the media and their peers. It is mainly through friendships that adolescents learn about what behaviors are acceptable or banned and what the consequences are of each behavior (Schonert-Reichl, 1999). For example, if a group of female adolescents believe that having sex with four different men a week is okay, then they are not going to discourage the action from taking place. These girls are more apt to pressure each other into having sex than girls who do not believe that having sex with four men a week is morally right. So, the best way to ameliorate the effects of peer interactions and the media is to educated adolescents about sex and drug use in a way that teens will receive it.

Emotions Experienced

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has complied a list of normal feelings and behaviors of the middle school and high school adolescents that experience during the process of identity formation. The four main ideas are as follows: 

• Movement towards independence:

• Struggle with sense of identity
• Feeling awkward or strange about one's self and one's body
• Interests and clothing style influenced by peer group
• Focus on self, alternating between high expectations and poor self-concept
• Moodiness
•  Improved ability to use speech to express one's self

• Future interests and Cognitive Changes:

• Mostly interested in present, limited thoughts of future
• Intellectual interests expand and gain importance
• Greater ability to do work (physical, mental, emotional)

• Sexuality:

• Display shyness, blushing, modesty
•  Girls develop physically soon than boys
•  Increased interest in the opposite sex
•  Movement towards heterosexuality with fears of homosexuality
•  Frequently changing relationships
•  Worries about being normal

• Morals, Values and Self Direction:

• Rule and limit testing
• Capacity for abstract thought
• Development of ideals and selection of role models
• More consistent evidence of conscience
• Experimentation with sex and drugs 

• Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (1997). Normal Adolescent Development: Middle School and Early High School Years. www.aacap.org
• Bay-Cheng, L.Y. (2001). SexEd.com: Values and norms in web-based sexuality education. The Journal of Sex Research, 38 (3), 241-251. 
• Schonert-Reichl, K.A. (1999). Relations of peer acceptance, friendship adjustment, and social behavior to moral reasoning during early adolescence. Journal of Early Adolescence, 19 (2), 249-279.