This study employed semi-structured interviews and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore experiences of on-time maturation in nine adolescent ballet dancers from across three vocational ballet schools in the United Kingdom. Two themes were identified as central to their experiences: 'A right and a wrong way to grow', and fitting in…

The present three-wave panel study (N = 968, [X-bar][subscript age] = 11.30, SD = 1.06) examines how developmental factors--pubertal timing and heterosocial involvement (i.e., one's involvement in cross-sex activities)--influence early adolescents' level of media internalization. We hypothesized that early pubertal timing positively moderates the…

Menarche is one of the most important transitions for women. Perceptions of menarche play an important role in this transition process and appear to be influenced strongly by culture. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of menarche among female adolescents in South Korea. Fifty-three female students' essays and drawings…

In this study, we tested two competing explanations of the previously established link between early female puberty and sexual harassment in early adolescence. The sample included 680 seventh-grade Swedish girls (M[subscript age] = 13.40, SD = 0.53). Findings revealed that looking more sexually mature and being sexually active mediated the link…

In this study we tested for differences in physical activity (PA), physical self-concept, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) between the least and most biologically mature adolescent females within their respective chronological and academic year groups. A total of 222 British female adolescents aged 10 to 14 years (X[bar] age = 12.7…

This article focuses on how temperament, pubertal maturation, and perception of parenting behaviors affect the propensity to date in early adolescence (mean age = 13.55). Hypotheses are tested with a representative sample of 2,230 Dutch adolescents, the TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). The results suggest that adolescents…

This study developed two specifications of the social skills deficit stress generation hypothesis: the "gender-incongruence" hypothesis to predict peer victimization and the "need for autonomy" hypothesis to predict conflict with authorities. These hypotheses were tested in a prospective large population cohort of 2,064 Dutch…

Examined factors predicting body dissatisfaction for seventh- and tenth-grade girls and boys in the second wave of a 3-year study of psychosocial maturity. Identified high body mass index, greater figure management, and being teased about appearance as risk factors for girls' body dissatisfaction. Being teased was boys' only significant risk…

Tested three hypotheses concerning effects of pubertal timing on substance use during early adolescence. Findings supported only the stage termination hypothesis. Early maturing boys and girls reported a higher frequency of substance use within the following year after puberty than did the other participants, with the effects being more pronounced…