A complex of biological, cognitive and social changes characterizes the period of adolescence. All these changes affect and
are affected by changes in young people’s social relations. Their relationships with parents become more symmetrical and the
adolescents gain greater freedom to make their own decisions about their behaviour and personal commitments. At the same
time relationships with peers become more significant. Within the context of all these changes adolescents may experiment
with different roles, forms of relationships and ways of defining and presenting themselves to others. This experimentation
can be seen as an essential part of achieving a sense of identity and committing oneself to adult roles and responsibilities.
Several factors probably influence the course and outcome of this process. For example: earlier child-rearing experiences,
negative as well as positive; the timing and social response to pubertal maturation; critical life events; or negative social
learning experiences, leading to inadequate coping and social skills. In interaction with proximal and distal contextual factors
(family, peers, school, the neighbourhood, labour market conditions), positive and negative pathways of social development
emerge and develop further.