Save Q: “My 15-year-old son struggles to connect with others. He seems to lack empathy, and also has trouble showing compassion. How can I help him develop the emotional maturity I see in peers of his age group?” Teens and Emotional Maturity Several reasons help explain your son’s current emotional maturity level. Keeping the following factors in mind can help reduce your frustration and concern as you begin to work with him to develop empathy and other skills: 1. The adolescent years are naturally a time of intense emotional development and maturation. Teens experience emotional highs and lows as their bodies change, as they develop a sense of self, and as they increasingly focus on their personal relationships. These changes rarely come easily or smoothly.