Tweens Growth & Development The Negative Impact of Early Puberty in Girls Learn why precocious puberty can cause problems for tweens By Rebecca Fraser-Thill twitter linkedin Rebecca Fraser-Thill holds a Master's Degree in developmental psychology and writes about child development and tween parenting. Learn about our editorial process Rebecca Fraser-Thill Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Lindsey Waldman, MD, RD on December 04, 2019 linkedin Lindsey Waldman, MD, RD, is a board-certified pediatrician and pediatric endocrinologist. Learn about our Review Board Lindsey Waldman, MD, RD on December 04, 2019 Print Comstock/Stockbyte/Getty Images Puberty is a tough transition for any tween, but some children find it more difficult than others. Children who begin puberty younger than their peers have even more challenges to face. Although it's rare, some kids start puberty at a very young age - a condition called precocious puberty. Here's what parents should know if a child begins puberty at a very young age. The Negative Impact The negative impact of early puberty in girls has been well documented, and parents of tweens going through precocious puberty need all the information they can get in order to better help their child and even avoid potential challenges. Here are the three most commonly discussed hypotheses for why precocious puberty has a negative effect on tween girls. Too Much Too Soon Some psychologists believe that development must occur in a certain order in order to be optimal. For instance, children must experience certain social, cognitive and emotional milestones before they are ready to endure the rigors of adolescence. If puberty occurs too early, they may still be completing some of the necessary psychological development of childhood when puberty arrives. As a result, early-maturing girls may become overwhelmed by the stressors of adolescence and the many changes that accompany puberty. As a result, early puberty in girls has a negative impact. There is some research evidence in support of this explanation, which is called the "stage termination hypothesis". In particular, early-maturing tweens do seem to be more susceptible to stress than their normally developing peers. Feeling Different Than Peers Feeling different from peers is a constant challenge for tweens and teens and it's no wonder that girls going through puberty sooner than her peers will likely compare herself to others. This explanation, called the "deviance hypothesis", contends that any departure from the average developmental timeline is stressful. In other words, children and tweens fare best when they experience developmental milestones around the same time as most of their peers. In support of this theory, it has been found that both early-maturing and late-maturing adolescents are more distressed than "on-time" adolescents. Experiencing Too Many Transitions at Once Finally, some psychologists believe that the stress of simultaneous transitions best explains the negative impact of early puberty in girls. Supporters of the "multiple transition hypothesis" contend that tweens do best when they only have to handle one or two major life transitions at any given time. If puberty arrives so early that it coincides with other transitions - such as the transition from elementary to middle school - then the tween may experience greater stress than his or her peers. There is some research support for this hypothesis. Why These Hypotheses Matter All in all, it is currently unclear exactly why premature puberty has such a negative impact on tweens, and create so many challenges for families. With further research, scientists may pinpoint which of these hypotheses - or combination of them - provides the best explanation. When they do, we will hopefully also learn how best to combat the disturbing consequences of early puberty. Note: If your child is going through precocious puberty it's important to communicate any problems your child encounters with her pediatrician. Your child's doctor will be able to help you understand how to best support your tween. Communicate challenges and concerns with your child's doctor, and be there to listen when your tween needs to open up about any challenges she doesn't understand. This article was updated on July 9, 2016, by Jennifer O'Donnell. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. National Organization for Rare Disorders. Precocious Puberty. Updated 2016. KidsHealth. Precocious Puberty. Updated September 2019. Mathias CW, Charles NE, Liang Y, et al. Pubertal Maturation Compression and Behavioral Impulsivity among Boys at Increased Risk for Substance Use. Addict Disord Their Treat. 2016;15(2):61–73. doi:10.1097/ADT.0000000000000077 Marceau K, Ram N, Houts RM, Grimm KJ, Susman EJ. Individual differences in boys' and girls' timing and tempo of puberty: modeling development with nonlinear growth models. Dev Psychol. 2011;47(5):1389–1409. doi:10.1037/a0023838