Triple Bind Research Paper

Introduction

The teenage years, referred to as adolescence, are a transitional period for children into adulthood. Beginning with the physical and psychological transformations that occur between the ages of nine and twelve, teenagers encounter many challenges: wanting to fit in, establishing healthy relationships, valuing one’s own appearance, determining one’s sexuality and true identity, succeeding academically, and preparing to launch into the world. Adolescence is a time for teenagers to discover who they are as individuals and in relation to the people they interact with (‘Adolescence”). Stress can greatly impact this quest for self-discovery. The experience of stress is unique to the individual who feels it. However, generally, stress

Stephen Hinshaw, a recognized psychologist and researcher, and Rachel Kranz (2009) details the pressures teenage girls face in society. Adolescent females are limited to the stereotypes and standards society forces upon them. These standards send conflicting messages to the confused teenagers, thus offering them little to no alternative. The Triple Bind includes three conflicting expectations imposed upon adolescent females: 1) Girls are to succeed at all the traditional ‘girl’ things; 2) Girls are to succeed at all the traditional ‘guy’ things; and 3) Girls are to conform to a set of standards that offers no alternative. These criteria have many implications. This composition is an investigation of the implications of the Triple Bind on the emotional development of adolescent females in the modern age. The research question is as follows: To what extent is the emotional development of adolescent females impacted by the Triple Bind in the modern era? This research question will be explored by examining a number of sources that review these main topics: emotional development of adolescents - in particular, adolescent females - traditional expectations, masculine qualities, and sexualization and self-esteem. I propose that the Triple Bind has greatly impacted the way adolescent girls handle stress and interpret their emotions, thus significantly altering their psychological

Pressure from peers and adults increases greatly and different types of stressors appear. Everything about an adolescent’s life changes. Some of these changes are bearable; other changes can cause great distress. The three items within the Triple Bind have caused many teenage girls much distress. In other words, the Triple Bind heavily impacts the emotional development of adolescent females in the modern era. The foundation of social capabilities is emotional development, and teenagers are going through a time where they are beginning to understand what successful relationships look like and how to maneuver through social culture (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004). Therefore, it is important to safeguard the emotional development of teenagers, especially adolescent females who are fall prey to more self-destructive tendencies. As stated, young girls suffer in silence and practice several different self-harm mechanisms: cutting, self-mutilation, and starvation (Hinshaw & Kranz, 2009). They hate themselves, and society only worsens this feeling by setting standards that are unjustified and