Teenage Girls

Ginny Olson abides in Minneapolis, MN where she is the Director of Youth Ministry for the Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church as well as a writer, speaker and consultant. Previously, she was one of two directors of the Center for Youth Ministry Studies at North Park University in Chicago, Illinois.  She also served on the youth ministry staffs at Willow Creek Community Church and Grace Church, Edina, Minnesota. She is the author of “Teenage Girls” and co-editor and contributor to “Breaking the Gender Barrier in Youth Ministry.”

CONTENTS
No Tourists Need Apply 7
Chapter 1: Identity Matters 15
Background 17
Infl uences on Identity Development 19
The Contexts of Identity Development 20
Self-Esteem 27
The Youth Worker’s Role 28
Chapter 2: The Adolescent Girl’s Body---In Search of “Normal” 31
Her Body Is Changing 33
Her Secondary Sex Characteristics 36
Her Primary Sex Characteristics 38
Early Maturation 42
Late Maturation 44
Strategies for Youth Workers 45
The Youth Worker’s Role 46
Chapter 3: The Adolescent Girl’s Body---Body Issues 49
Body Image 51
Extreme Exercise 58
Obesity 58
Eating Disorders 60
Recovery and Treatment for Eating Disorders 70
The Youth Worker’s Role 70
Chapter 4: Altered State: Adolescent Girls and Self-Injury 73
Self-Injury 75
The Youth Worker’s Role 78
Chapter 5: Dating Matters 81
A Little Dating History 83
Stages of Dating: Early Adolescence 83
Stages of Dating: Middle Adolescence 85
Emerging Patterns and Issues 88
The Youth Worker’s Role 93
Chapter 6: Sex Matters 97
Girls’ Sexual Activity---by the Numbers 98
Oral Sex: The New Game in Town 100
Incest and Sexual Abuse 102
Pregnancy and Abortion 104
Sexually Transmitted Diseases 108
Same-Sex Attraction 113
Chapter 7: Emotional Matters 121
The Turmoil of the Adolescent Girl’s Emotions 123
Stress and Anxiety 127
Depression 131
Suicide 137
The Youth Worker’s Role 140
Chapter 8: Brain Matters: Cognitive and Educational Issues 143
Gender Differences 148
A Girl’s Mental Development: Issues 150
The Youth Worker’s Role 159
Chapter 9: Family Matters 161
When Puberty Hits… 162
The Role of Mothers 165
The Role of Fathers 168
The Impact of Divorce 171
Siblings 175
Immigrant Family Issues 178
The Youth Worker’s Role 182
Chapter 10: Friendship Matters 183
How Friendships Change from Childhood to Adolescence 185
How Girls’ Friendships Differ from Boys’ Friendships 189
Girls and Relational Aggression 191
Girls and Violence 195
The Youth Worker’s Role 196
Chapter 11: Faith Matters 199
Pre-Adolescent Faith 201
Early Adolescent Faith 202
Middle Adolescent Faith 205
Alternative Spirituality 206
The Youth Worker’s Role 209
Notes 211