In Akinade, E. A. (Ed.), Developmental Psychology: A Life-Span Approach (2022). Ibadan, Oyo State – Nigeria: Brightways Publishers, Pp. 71 – 98. ISBN: 978-978-995-467-4 1 The Adolescence Stage Shehu Yahaya Tsagem Department of Educational Foundations Faculty of Education and Extension Services Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto 08032868031 shehu.yahaya@udusok.edu.ng Introduction As the child develops through the childhood stage it enters the adolescent stage. This stage is one of the most important in the life of an individual because of its critical linkage to the other stages. The stage is considered as very vital because it is at this stage that the child is to cross over into a life that will shoulder him with the responsibility of being recognized and accepted as a member who contributes positively to the development of the society in all ramification. At this stage also exists a “confusion” in the individual as he tries to understand himself and also assert his position in the society. Parents, teachers and other members of the society need to handle the individual at this stage very cautiously and tactfully because their efforts and modes of treatment and training may mar their desire for an acceptable and positive contributing member of the society as the adolescent is trying to “seek out and understand himself” without really having all the needed ingredients to grasp the real understanding of what reality is; to him, reality is just his world. THE CONCEPT OF ADOLESCENCE In the simplest form, adolescence is seen as the phase of life between childhood and adulthood, from ages 10 to 19. Thus, Hu and Nash (2019) and Stehlik (2018) saw adolescence (from Latin adolescere ‘to mature’) as a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to legal adulthood (age of majority). Isanghedighi (1994) observes that the period of adolescence marks the period when the quality of various psychological traits such as interest, aptitude, values, thinking, reasoning, judgment begin to transcend those of childhood and progress to adulthood quality. Adolescence begins at puberty, which now occurs earlier, on average, than in the past. The end of adolescence is tied to social and emotional factors and can be somewhat ambiguous. Spear (2000) concludes that adolescence is a distinct phase of the developmental life cycle in humans and other animal species. Thus, Uzoka (2018) observes that in Nigeria, adolescence is assumed to end by