Adolescence is the most important stage in the development of human life. Physical, mental, emotional and social development is organized among the boys and girls of this stage like previous all stages. Due to all these developments, various changes are seen in the body and mind of boys and girls of this stage. These changes of adolescence occur suddenly in the boys and girls at this stage and these are more widespread than changes in other stages of human development.

These sudden changes create a variety of new needs among adolescent boys and girls.

These needs of adolescence are roughly divided into three parts. Such as –

1) Physical needs,

2) Mental needs and

3) Social needs.

1) Physical Needs: –

The most important physical needs of adolescent boys and girls are –

i) Sexual Need or Need for Sex.

ii) Need for Foods.

iii) Need for maintaining Health and body building.

i) Sexual Need or Need for Sex: –

The most important need among the various physical needs of adolescents is need for sex or sexual need. In adolescence, sexual life or sexual energy of boys and girls is matured. As a result, the opposite sex consciousness is seen in them. In the adolescence, changes in the sexual organs of boys and girls cause a special stir in their minds. This increases sexual curiosity in them. Because of this sexual curiosity, a strong desire to know about sexual relation is seen in them. As a result, boys of this age wish to associate more with girls and girls more with boys. Due to this type of wish, adolescents often have sex with each other.

ii) Need for Food: –

One of the most important physical needs of adolescence is the need for food. At this stage, the physical constitution of boys and girls is fulfilled. As a result, the various internal glands of their body begin to function normally. To maintain the normal functioning of the glands of the body need some energy which comes from food. Due to this, a tendency to consume more and more food is seen in the boys and girls of adolescence. As a result they consume more and more food at this time. We call this need as “Food Needs” or “Need for Foods”.

iii) Need for maintaining Health and body building: –

Need for maintaining Health and body building in adolescence is an important need. During this time boys and girls become a little more aware of their bodies and health. As a result, the boys and girls of adolescence want to improve their body and health. So that it can easily attract the attention of others. Especially at this time boys want to show beautiful to girls and girls to boys. As a result, they exercise at this level and eat a high-protein diet.

2) Mental needs: –

The mental changes of boys and girls during adolescence give birth various mental needs in them. All the important mental needs that are seen in boys and girls during this time, they are –

i) Need for independence,

ii) Need for security,

iii) Need for self-expression,

iv) Need for self-reliance,

v) Need for knowledge,

vi) Need for love and

vii) Need for adventure.

i) Need for independence: –

An important mental need of adolescence is need for independence. Before adolescence, boys and girls depend on their parents, teachers and other adults. But in adolescence, teenagers want to work independently and Wants to express independent views on various issues. That is to say, boys and girls of this age want to work independently or express their opinions freely being free from the control of adults. Parents often do not like this attitude of boys and girls and want to suppress it.

ii) Need for security:-

An opposite need from Need for independence is seen among boys and girls of this age, which is the need for security. During this time adults sometimes consider them as mature people and sometimes as children. As a result, they do not understand where their real position is. Due to this kind of contradictory behavior of adults, fear is seen among boys and girls of this age and they remain feared almost of the time. This creates a lack of security among the boys and girls of adolescence.

iii) Need for self-expression: –

The need for independence and the need for sex are two important needs of adolescence. Due to these two needs, a need is seen in the boys and girls of adolescence that is need for self-expression. This time they want to express themselves through various works. As a result, their tendency towards various activities like education, sports, painting, singing, dancing, acting etc. is noticed. Its main purpose is to establish themselves in front of the elders in the society or among the other members of the group.

iv) Need for self-reliance: –

After entering adolescence, boys and girls start to think about their future. As a result, in order to become self-reliant in the future, they choose profession, job or work in accordance with their talents and try to prepare themselves accordingly. Its main purpose is to develop themselves as a self-reliant or earning person for the future. This is called “Need for self-reliance” of adolescence.

v) Need for knowledge: –

The mental development of boys and girls is fulfilled in the adolescence. As a result, there is a deep curiosity among them about various objects. Besides, a strong desire to know that object is seen in them. Their inclination is towards science, various aspects of world nature, literature, history, philosophy etc. They try to know everything by studying or observing themselves. This need of adolescence is called “Need for knowledge”.

vi) Need for love and affection: –

Another mental or psychological need of adolescence is the “Need for love and affection”. At this time boys and girls want from their parents and teachers to love and affection for them.

vii) Need for adventure: –

An important mental need of boys and girls of adolescence is Need for adventure. In order to establish themselves in front of the elders or to express their abilities to other members of the group, boys and girls take many risks at this time, which are avoided by healthy normal people with the consideration. As a result, they often suffer physical damage.

3) Social needs: –

The social needs of boys and girls during adolescence are –

i) Need for active participation in social life.

ii) Need for social recognition.

iii) Moral needs.

i) Need for active participation in social life: –

During adolescence, boys and girls want to take an active part in different parts of society. During this time they proceeded spontaneously in various activities of the society. Forms teams with people with the same ideology and performs different social works. We can call this kind of need as “Need for active participation in social life”.

ii) Need for social recognition: –

In adolescence, boys and girls unite with the boys and girls of the same age and form teams. At this time they want the elders of the society recognize their team and team work. Besides, they want the people of the society should seriously consider them or their group’s opinion in various works of the society. This type of need for boys and girls in adolescence is called “Need for social recognition”.

iii) Moral needs: –

Moral values are developed in boys and girls in adolescence. They judge their own work or the work of the persons of the society in terms of this Moral value and asked question about the validity of the various customs of the society. This need of adolescence is called moral needs.

So, these are the important various needs which are noticed in the boys and girls of adolescence. All these needs of the boys and girls of adolescence need to be fulfilled properly. Failure to fulfill these needs will lead to inconsistent behavior, which will hamper their progress in developing a healthy life.

Various Needs of Adolescence.

⇒ Different Stages of Development.

⇒ Adolescence and It’s aspects of Development.

⇒ Problems of Adolescence.

⇒ Guidance and Counselling for Adolescence.