Understanding the Teenage BrainDo you ever wonder why you can’t figure out how your teenager makes decisions? Why do they argue with you when your wisdom tells you that you are probably right? Well, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, adolescents differ from adults in the way they behave, solve problems, and make decisions. There is a biological explanation for this difference. Studies have shown that brains continue to mature and develop throughout childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. |
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| Scientists have identified a specific region of the brain called the amygdala responsible for immediate reactions including fear and aggressive behavior. This region develops early. However, the frontal cortex, the area of the brain that controls reasoning and helps us think before we act, develops later. This part of the brain is still changing and maturing well into adulthood.
Pictures of the brain in action show that adolescents’ brains work differently than adults when they make decisions or solve problems. Their actions are guided more by the emotional and reactive amygdala and less by the thoughtful, logical frontal cortex. Research has also shown that exposure to drugs and alcohol during the teen years can change or delay these developments. Based on the stage of their brain development, adolescents are more likely to:
Adolescents are less likely to:
These brain differences don’t mean that young people can’t make good decisions or tell the difference between right and wrong. It also doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be held responsible for their actions. However, an awareness of these differences can help parents, teachers, advocates, and policymakers understand, anticipate, and manage the behavior of adolescents. For more information visit: AACAP.org |
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OK, this makes sense. I’m a dad of two teenage daughters and nothing they say or do is intelligible to me.