Sexual Development: What to Expect When You're Growing Up

Several theories have been postulated to try and understand human development. Some theories attribute biological drive as the main contributor of growth, while other theories attribute the social environment as the critical component. The third view is that there is an interplay between biological factors and the social environment leading to personal sexual development. Erikson’s psychological theory observes that there are eight stages of psychosocial development. The stages involve a conflict resolution process, and individual habits and character can be attributed to the positive and negative aspects of the stage. Eric Erickson’s theory can be used to accurately examine my personal development as a sexual being by showing how individuals from my family and different social groups have influenced my development.

Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust 

The first stage of the theory is referred to as trust vs. mistrust, and it takes place from birth to about one year of age. The stage is the most fundamental as the infant is highly dependent and develops trust based on the quality of the caregiver. While I was not self-aware throughout this stage, I can attest I know that my parents are very loving, caring, and responsible. My mother and grandmother were my babysitters and they took adequate care of me. I later learned that my mother took care of me during the night while my grandmother during the day. I often slept in the same bed with my mother and this made me feel the care I wanted. I also received care from my father who recalls that he would often change my diapers and would make sure that I was okay whenever I cried. I received a lot of love, warmth, nurturing, caring, and food needed to survive the stage. The result is that I developed a great sense of trust and security in the world. It enhanced my sexual development as it provided me with the ability to trust my other partner. Failure to develop such a trust can result in fear where one believes that the world is an unpredictable and inconsistent place (Knight, 2017). However, I received adequate care and today feel consistencies and predictability in others.

Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt 

The second stage of Erikson’s theory is between two to three years and it involves the child developing a greater degree of personal control. Parents and caregivers that allow their kids to make their choices and gain control can help the child have a greater degree of autonomy (Erskine, 2019). One of the most important themes in developing a sense of control in the sage is potty training. Having more control over food choices, clothing selection, and toy preferences can also result in a greater degree of control. My parents taught me potty training at an early age and this gave me a greater sense of control. I also had several toys and my parents let me choose the kind of toys that I wanted to play with. Whenever I made any mistake, my parents did not punish me severely but always corrected me with love. I had a greater degree of sense of control over my environment. The result was that the stage enhanced my sexual development as it made me feel more confident and secure in myself.

Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt 

Psychosocial development takes place between the third and fifth years of a child. Children can assert their control and power over their world by directing social interactions and play (Erskine, 2019). My first social interactions were with my elderly siblings and cousins and in preschool and church. I remember that I was a curious child and often wanted to participate in different activities. I would take initiative and engage in painting, building puzzles, and several other games. My parents remind me of my leadership traits where I would sometimes take control over social groups and direct the play of my elder siblings and cousins. I was also active in the church where I would ask several questions about God. During this stage, my parents enrolled me in a class where I learned music and dancing. These activities gave me a greater degree of control over my life. While I failed to participate actively in music, I still practice dancing for the joy and health benefits. I find that my parents highly supported me to develop initiative from a young age. It enhanced my development as it enabled me to learn more about myself, understand my strengths, and explore the world around me.

Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority 

The fourth stage takes place during the early school years between the ages of 5 to 11. A child engages in multiple social interactions and they start developing a sense of pride and accomplishments in their abilities. I started schooling at this age and faced a new social situation and was expected to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic. I was highly competitive in different social activities like school, church, and at home. My parents were religious and would engage me in memorizing and reciting memory verses.

I was also industrious in school and competed with my elder siblings and cousins. My parents emphasized the importance of succeeding in school. I remember when I sat my parents down just to recite the multiplication table aloud. I also outperformed most of my peers in schoolwork and it gave me a sense of pride and accomplishment. I engaged in the tutoring of my siblings during my later years as I had developed a greater degree of mastery over different subjects. Performing well gave me a great degree and sense of accomplishment as my parents and teachers commended my hard work. According to (Abuhassan & Azmi, 2019), children that are commended and encouraged by their teachers and parents usually feel a belief and competence in their skills. Those that receive little to no encouragement doubt their abilities to succeed. The encouragement from grown-ups during the early years made me confident in my ability to succeed and to handle any task. I find that it enhanced my sexual development as a greater degree of confidence to succeed makes me have a higher degree of self-confidence. I can interact with other people and form relationships with ease.

Stage 5: Identity vs. Confusion 

The fifth psychosocial stage takes place during teenage years and adolescence. The stage helps in the development of a personal identity that can influence the development and behavior of someone later in life. Identity refers to the beliefs, ideas, values, and ideals that shape a person’s behavior (Maree, 2020). Erikson believed that this was the most critical stage in a person’s life as they start using past experiences and think of the future. The stage was critical for my development as it helped me to develop my sexual identity. I was able to understand the difference between boys and girls and interacted with different genders. However, I still had an independent identity and was rarely influenced by peers or the decisions made by my parents. When developing relationships with others, I valued people that were intellectually progressive and trusted intellectually like-minded people. My sexual identity was also influenced by my parents and teachers who emphasized that I should spend more time in my studies than that spent when interacting with others.

It was during the teenage years that I developed an introverted personality. As an introvert, I would only keep very few friends and hardly interacted with different people. I enjoyed staying at the house and playing indoors. I was still performing well at school where I would earn the praise of my teachers and parents. I valued their praise and it motivated me to work hard. However, my parents became concerned about my poor social interaction and decided to place me in a public high school where I could interact with others more. The entire experience was quite shocking and it impacted my sexual development negatively. I felt a great deal of pressure and anxiety when interacting with others. The sexual development I developed at this stage was that of being independent and being an introvert.

Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation 

Intimacy occurs in young adults and involves the ability to form intimate and loving relationships with others. One of the most important factors during the stage is the ability to develop close and committed relationships. Erikson observed that having a strong sense of personal identity was critical in the formation of relationships (Knight, 2017). I had developed my sexual identity in the previous years by understanding the difference between girls and boys. I desired intimacy and having more friends but the introverted personality developed earlier hindered my ability to form relationships. I was thus more oriented towards solitude and mostly prefer my own company. However, I have maintained a very close group of friends with whom I find we can interact closely.

Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation 

The seventh stage of Erikson’s theory occurs during middle adulthood. Generativity involves making a mark in the world through creating and nurturing things that will outlast the individual. I have been successful in the stage by being productive at my work and engaging in community activities and organizations. I strive to do my best at work to ensure that I can make a difference. I also participate in a community organization that feeds the homeless and children. Participating in these activities gives me a great sense of fulfillment.

Special Systems, Opinion or Myth that has influenced your development 

Religion played a huge role in influencing my development. I remember being afraid to be punished by God if I did something wrong. The result was that I was a very obedient and actively participated in church. I was highly active in church and was popular in the church. The participation is also evident in the way I engage with various community activities at the moment. Another factor that greatly influenced my development was listening to my parents and teachers that emphasized the need of working hard in school to have great future. I was became hardworking and would sometimes refuse to spend time with my friends to study.

Possible Changes 

The possible changes that I can make at the current stage of my development are to become more outgoing and extroverted. I believe that this would be critical for my sexual development as it would enable me to form more friends and interact with many people freely. My previously developed introversion was also transferred to my early adulthood creating challenges when working with a team. The changes I can make at this stage will involve forming more relationships with other people. I can also prepare for the next stage in life by trying to create a positive change that would benefit other people. As I advance in my years, I need to focus more on a career and having a family. I also grew up in a church and played an active role in the church community and at home.

Recommendations 

The recommendation to parents, guardians, and the church is that they should be more observant of the sexual development that children, adolescents, and young adults go through. Sexual development is important for the wholesome development of an individual. Parents and caregivers should understand the normal sexual development process to nurture their children as they go through the different stages. Parents, guardians, and the community should also readily observe when there are conflicts within the different development stages. Corrective action should be applied once they realize that the developing child or young adult is experiencing challenges with their growth. Some of the development stages are interdependent and poor development in one stage can impact the development of other stages negatively.

Conclusion 

The development stages by Erik Eriksen were applied to analyze the growth to adulthood. The analysis of the stages showed that the emergence of conflict could hinder development in specific areas of a relationship. On other hand, the development of trust, autonomy, initiative, industry, and identity can greatly impact future development. The recommendation is for parents and caregivers is to closely observe the development of their children and correct when there are any conflicts.

References 

Abuhassan, A. S., & Azmi, M. N. L. (2019). Psychosocial Development Portrayed In Jane Austen’s Emma.  Language Literacy: Journal of Linguistics, Literature, and Language Teaching ,  3 (2), 185-200. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/276551321.pdf 

Erskine, R. G. (2019). Child development in integrative psychotherapy: Erik Erikson’s first three stages.  International Journal of Integrative Psychotherapy ,  10 , 11-34. http://www.integrative-journal.com/index.php/ijip/article/view/145 

Knight, Z. G. (2017). A proposed model of psychodynamic psychotherapy linked to Erik Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development.  Clinical psychology & psychotherapy ,  24 (5), 1047-1058. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2066 

Maree, J. G. (2020). The psychosocial development theory of Erik Erikson: critical overview.  Early Child Development and Care , 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2020.1845163