“Who am I?”

Most of us have asked ourselves the question “Who am I?” at one pointor another in our lives. Coon, Mitterer, and Martini (2019) discuss thedifficulties teenagers face in establishing their own identity: “Manyproblems stem from the unclear standards about the role adolescentsshould play within society” (p. 110). Our text also explains thatteenagers experience ambiguity, or unclear interpretations when definingtheir roles. This adds to their confusion of a clear and solid sense ofself.

More and more often we are seeing cases presented in the mediaabout teens who have taken their own lives as a result of bullying andcyberbullying (Wang, 2016). Coon, Mitterer, and Martini (2019) haveargued that adolescence is a tumultuous time. However, Karen Horney’stheory explains that basic anxiety occurs because we live in a hostileworld. An example is Wang’s report of a suicide by a 13-year-old girlin response to racial and social prejudice against perceived sexualorientation.

1. How much does emotional turbulence versus social hostility count asan explanation for teen suicide? Or is it a combination of the two?

2. Drawing upon Kohlberg’s theory of stages of moral development,Gilligan’s theory of caring, and Erikson’s psychosocial stages theory,discuss reasons why an adolescent might turn to suicide. Then, using oneof these theories, suggest how to help a teen who has been a victim ofbullying.

(200 words minimum)