Which assessment finding of a school-aged patient should alert the nurse to a possible developmental delay?

A) Verbalization of "I have no friends"
B) Absence of secondary sex characteristics
C) Curiosity about sexuality
D) Lack of group identity

School-aged children should begin to develop friendships and to socialize with others. Interaction with peers allows them to define their own accomplishments in relation to others as they work to develop a positive self-image. The absence of secondary sex characteristics is a major concern of adolescents, not school-aged children, because physical evidence of maturity encourages the development of masculine and feminine behaviors in the adolescent. Lack of group relationships is also a concern of adolescents, not of school-aged children, because adolescents seek a group identity to fulfill their esteem and acceptance needs. Today many researchers believe that school-aged children have a great deal of curiosity about their sexuality. Some experiment, but this is usually transitory.