Arrested Development: Adolescent Development & Juvenile Justice | Elizabeth Cauffman | TEDxUCIrvine
Summary
TLDRThis script delves into the complexities of adolescent brain development and its impact on decision-making, highlighting the gap between cognitive and emotional maturity. It discusses the consequences of treating children as adults in the legal system, emphasizing the importance of considering developmental factors when addressing juvenile crime. The speaker advocates for a justice system informed by science, recognizing that most adolescents mature out of criminal behavior and should be held accountable in age-appropriate ways.
Takeaways
- 📚 Adolescence is marked by significant physical, emotional, and cognitive changes, with cognitive development reaching a level comparable to adults by age 16.
- 🧠 Despite cognitive maturity, adolescents often make poor decisions due to ongoing emotional and psychosocial development, which continues into the 20s.
- 🚫 Serious crimes committed by adolescents, such as assault and lewd behavior, highlight the need for age-appropriate legal considerations and treatment.
- 🔍 The research focuses on the developmental factors that differentiate adolescents from adults and how these should influence legal treatment.
- 🌐 There's a gap between cognitive knowledge and emotional control in adolescents, likened to 'starting the engine without a skilled driver'.
- 🧠 The prefrontal cortex, responsible for impulse control and emotional regulation, is one of the last areas of the brain to fully develop, not maturing until around age 25.
- 💡 The adolescent brain undergoes synaptic pruning for more efficient messaging, increased myelination for faster neural pathways, and changes in dopamine distribution affecting reward and pleasure.
- 🌈 Dopamine levels in adolescents spike more significantly in response to rewards and excitement, contributing to their intense emotional experiences.
- 📉 Most adolescents 'grow out of' criminal behavior, with only a small percentage persisting into adulthood, indicating a need for nuanced justice system responses.
- 🏛 The justice system's approach to adolescent offenders varies by location, with different ages at which young people can be transferred to adult court.
- 🔑 Accountability for adolescents is crucial, but the method of holding them accountable should reflect their developmental stage and capacity for change.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the speaker's research?
-The main focus of the speaker's research is to understand if adolescents are different from adults in ways that warrant different treatment under the law, and what developmental factors should be considered in this context.
Why do adolescents sometimes make poor decisions despite cognitive advances?
-Adolescents make poor decisions despite cognitive advances because their emotional and psychosocial development, which helps in self-regulation and impulse control, continues to develop into their twenties, creating a gap between what they know and how they can control their actions.
What are the key developmental changes that occur during adolescence?
-Key developmental changes during adolescence include physical changes (puberty), emotional changes, social changes, and significant cognitive development such as the ability to think abstractly, long-term, and about others.
What is the significance of the prefrontal cortex in adolescent development?
-The prefrontal cortex, responsible for impulse control, emotional regulation, and perspective-taking, is the last part of the brain to fully develop, usually not until around age 25. This underdevelopment explains why adolescents often struggle with self-regulation.
What role does dopamine play in adolescent behavior?
-Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes one feel good, spikes in adolescents during exciting or pleasurable activities. Changes in its density and distribution contribute to the extreme highs and lows that adolescents experience.
What did the research study involving kids aged 10 to 30 reveal about adolescent development?
-The study revealed that by age 16, adolescents' cognitive development is similar to adults, but their psychosocial development, which includes impulse control and emotional regulation, continues to mature into their twenties.
What were the findings of the study on serious felony offenders?
-The study found that about a third of the adolescent offenders stopped engaging in criminal behavior by their twenties, 16% continued offending at low levels, and only 9% persisted in high-level offending. The majority developed better self-regulation over time.
How does the justice system currently treat juvenile offenders differently across various states?
-The treatment of juvenile offenders varies significantly by state. For example, in California, juveniles can be transferred to the criminal justice system at age 14, in Colorado at age 12, in Wisconsin at age 10, and in some cases in West Virginia, there is no lower age limit.
What changes occurred in the juvenile justice system regarding the death penalty and life without parole?
-In 2005, the juvenile death penalty was abolished, and in 2012, limits were placed on life without the possibility of parole for juvenile offenders, reflecting a shift towards more developmentally informed treatment of juvenile crimes.
Why does the speaker argue that children should not be treated as mini-adults in the justice system?
-The speaker argues that children should not be treated as mini-adults because their cognitive and emotional development differs significantly from adults, affecting their decision-making and impulse control. A justice system that incorporates developmental science can better hold children accountable in an appropriate manner.
Outlines
📚 Adolescence and the Law
This paragraph delves into the complexities of adolescent behavior and the legal system's approach to juvenile offenders. It starts by painting a vivid picture of high school life and the range of actions students might take, from harmless pranks to serious crimes. The speaker introduces real-life cases of students who faced severe legal consequences for their actions, such as expulsion and being charged as sex offenders. The core of the discussion is the question of whether adolescents should be treated differently under the law due to their developmental stage. The speaker outlines the cognitive and emotional changes that occur during adolescence, highlighting the gap between cognitive development and emotional regulation. This gap is often referred to as 'starting the engine without a skilled driver,' which metaphorically explains why adolescents can make poor decisions despite their advanced cognitive abilities.
🧠 Understanding Adolescent Brain Development
This paragraph provides a detailed exploration of the neuroscientific aspects of adolescent brain development. It begins with the concept of synaptic pruning, which is the process of eliminating unnecessary neural connections to streamline cognitive pathways. The speaker also discusses myelination, the process of coating axons with a fatty sheath that enhances the speed of neural signals, akin to paving a road for faster travel. The paragraph then touches on the role of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, and how its fluctuating levels can influence adolescent behavior. The speaker explains that the density and distribution of dopamine receptors change during adolescence, contributing to the intensity of emotional experiences. Finally, the paragraph discusses the increased connectivity between subcortical and cortical regions of the brain, which is crucial for emotional regulation and decision-making. The speaker emphasizes that these developmental changes continue into the late 20s, offering insight into why adolescents might make poor decisions and the importance of considering brain development in the justice system.
🏛 The Impact of Geography on Juvenile Justice
The final paragraph addresses the disparities in juvenile justice based on geographical location, illustrating how the age at which a child can be transferred to the adult criminal justice system varies by state. The speaker highlights the progress made in recent years, such as the abolition of the juvenile death penalty and limits on life sentences without parole for juvenile offenders. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of holding children accountable in a manner that is developmentally appropriate, considering their cognitive and emotional immaturity. It concludes with a call for a justice system that incorporates scientific understanding of adolescent development, recognizing that children are not small adults and should not be treated as such.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Adolescence
💡Cognitive Development
💡Psychosocial Development
💡Impulse Control
💡Prefrontal Cortex
💡Myelination
💡Dopamine
💡Juvenile Justice System
💡Desistance
💡Accountability
Highlights
A ninth grader was expelled and charged with simple assault for throwing a spitball.
A senior in Michigan was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior and registered as a sex offender for mooning the school principal.
The speaker focuses on cases involving adolescents and questions the differences in treatment between adolescents and adults under the law.
Adolescence is a time of significant growth and change, including physical, emotional, and cognitive development.
Cognitive development in adolescents allows them to think abstractly and consider long-term consequences, similar to adults.
Despite cognitive advances, adolescents still make risky decisions, indicating a gap between knowledge and emotional control.
The speaker's research explores why adolescents engage in risky behavior despite understanding the difference between right and wrong.
A study with children aged 10 to 30 showed cognitive development peaks by age 16, but emotional development continues into the 20s.
The gap between cognitive and emotional development is likened to 'starting the engine without a skilled driver'.
Brain development, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, continues until around age 25, affecting impulse control and emotional regulation.
Adolescent brain development involves pruning unnecessary synaptic connections for more efficient messaging.
Myelination, the fatty sheath around axons, improves the speed of neural transmission, similar to paving a road.
Dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure, spikes in adolescents more intensely than in adults, influencing their behavior.
Increased connectivity between subcortical and cortical regions is part of adolescent brain development.
Most adolescents 'grow out of crime', developing self-regulation and impulse control, except for a persistent group that does not.
Geographical location influences how the justice system treats adolescents, with varying ages for automatic transfer to the criminal justice system.
The justice system needs to consider developmental science to treat children appropriately, not as adults.
Accountability for children's actions is crucial, but the method of accountability should be age-appropriate and consider cognitive development.
Transcripts
imagine you're back in high school
imagine your teachers imagine your
friends think of some of the things you
were doing think of the some of the
things you shouldn't have been doing
okay everybody have a visualization here
anybody in the room ever throw a spit
ball before okay well let me tell you
about a ninth grader who did throw a
stiff ball expelled from school and
charged with simple assault we have a
senior in Michigan who mooned the school
principal charged with lewd and
lascivious behavior and now registered
as a sex offender for the next 25 years
that's that there are kids who commit
very serious and dangerous crimes crimes
that were very concerned about however
we do have 12 year olds currently
sentenced to life without the
possibility of parole
these are the types of cases and the
type of work that I focus on this is the
fundamental question of my research our
adolescents different from adults that
would more different treatment under the
law and if so what developmental factors
should you consider and at the end of
the day where do you draw the line but
being doing to me being a child and
being an adult so let's start with
adolescence 101 if adolescence is an
enormous time of growth and change
you may remember your own adolescence or
the parents in the room may remember
their child going through adolescence
there's physical changes you remember
puberty emotional changes social changes
one of the most important changes though
is in cognitive development that is in
the way adolescents think kids now can
think very differently they can think
abstractly what if the possibilities
they can think long term they can think
about others they have these new
advances and in fact become quite
similar to adults notice I didn't say as
smart as adults
because sometimes still adults make poor
decisions but they become quite similar
to adults so why then if adolescents are
so incredibly smart do they make
such incredibly stupid decisions and
this is where the problem lies
and this is the research we've been
focused on they have these cognitive
advances they know the difference
between right and wrong and yet they
still engage in really risky behavior in
fact every parent in the room says
they've talked to their child why did
you do that what's the most common
response they come back oh right well in
fairness they're not lying to you they
didn't know why they did it
they knew they shouldn't have but they
did it anyway and in fact that's where
my research comes from let me tell you
about a research study my colleagues and
I did with kids as young as age 10 to as
old as age 30 higher scores on this
scale me more mature behavior so start
with the red line that's your cognitive
development now by about age 16
adolescents are similar to adults so
that's it that's where we should draw
the line at 16 you're an adult again
every parent in the room just gasped and
when please no because that's 16 we sure
as heck aren't adults because what else
is going on well look at that blue line
that blue line is what we call
psychosocial development or emotional
development that's the stuff that helps
us self-regulate controls our impulses
helps us to think long term to resist
peer influence and notice that line
continues to develop well up into your
20s so we have this gap between
cognitively what we know and emotionally
what we can control have an expression
in the field it's called starting the
engine without a skilled driver the car
works the engine runs but the person
behind the wheel can't control the car
so that's why these two systems create
such an interesting interplay for us
understanding adolescent decision-making
well the reason this has become so
important is because we've been studying
adolescent brain development
in fact what you're looking at here is
more blue on this scale means more
development so you want to see more blue
and the way you want to see this blue
development is particularly behind your
forehead where the frontal lobe or the
prefrontal cortex of the brain is that's
like the CEO
the company it runs the business it's
responsible for impulse control the
ability to regulate your emotions all
that ability to take perspective and
that's the last part of the brain to
develop that part of the brain isn't
necessarily fully developed until
roughly age 25 and so this part of the
brain remember that blue line that was
developing that part of the brain is
still coming into play it doesn't mean
the brain doesn't work it's just not
fully functioning in the way an adult is
well what do you mean by developing
let's do a quick neuroscience lesson
when you're born you are born with a ton
of synaptic connections now if I have
any Gardeners you know that when you
prune a rosebush you want to prune the
rosebush so that it will grow more well
that's exactly what you want to do in
adolescence you prune away the
unnecessary synaptic connections so that
messages can travel in a more direct
route I like to think of it like driving
get rid of the detours so you can take a
more direct route from point A to point
B we also have an important change in
the brain in myelination that's a white
fatty sheath that goes around the axon I
again like to think of a dirt road
versus a paved highway it's much faster
to travel down that paved highway than
it is a dirt road and that's exactly
what happens as you lay Milan down from
each of your experiences we also have a
change in dopamine this is a
neurotransmitter in your brain that
makes you feel great so when the dessert
cart goes by in a restaurant or you have
that piece of chocolate cake
dopamine spikes when you do something
really exciting dopamine spikes when you
have sex
dopamine spikes so the next time you can
say dopamine don't don't don't do that
but you understand it makes you feel
great but the change in the density and
the distribution of dopamine this is why
kids when they say they're bored they're
so bored and when things are great
they're awesome now I apologize to the
adults in the room but nothing ever
feels as great as it did during
adolescence so the dopamine spikes never
reach the same highs final change is in
the increased connectivity between the
subcortical to the cortical regions
take your fingers stick them between
your ears and you'll be in your limbic
system where your amygdala is now your
amygdala is your primitive emotion
fight-or-flight response system
well that sub cortical region eventually
bridges to the cortical so that the
brain is the connectivity response and
talking full this is all the change
that's going on in what you're going to
look at here is a time lapse between
ages five up till twenty with blues
showing more development and that the
brain is finally coming into its own by
the late 20s which helps us understand
why kids may make some of the poor
decisions that they do so then what do
we do
well this is my favorite New Yorker
cartoon young man go to your room and
stay there until your cerebral cortex
matures unfortunately we cannot send
everybody to their room and just make
them wait until their brain matures and
in fact you wouldn't want to because
part of laying down myelin is having
those experiences but what do we do with
kids well unfortunately when kids make
really poor choices we do send them
somewhere and that's to the justice
system which is where a lot of my
research and focus is on what do we do
with kids when they've committed very
serious crimes a lot of research focuses
on what gets kids into crime why do they
commit crime well we flip the question
around what gets kids out how did they
stop so we start over to study with over
1,300 serious felony offenders they've
committed very serious offenses robbery
aggravated assault even murder and we
followed these kids for seven years and
we wanted to see for the kids that most
of the policies and practices of our
country are based on do any of them stop
do any of them ever stop offending let
me show you what we found again we
started with these kids as young as age
fourteen to seventeen and we follow them
through to their 20s higher scores on
this scale mean more offending behavior
and let's start with that low purple
line at the bottom what you see right
away is about a third of the kids
offended during adolescence and then
just stopped they immediately desist it
and did not engage in any more criminal
about 16% started at low levels and
continued to offend at low levels now as
a researcher the three groups I'm
interested in to those three at the top
that's high level offending that's
engaging in a lot of risky dangerous
behavior but notice that red line only
nine percent persistent the other forty
percent those two other high groups
desist it by their 20s
so why how did they stop why do we see
such heterogeneity in this type of
offending well that's because when we
actually measure that self regulatory
process that emotional behavior every
one of the kids developed impulse
control the ability to think long term
self-regulation the only group of kids
who didn't were those kids in that red
group that persistent group they didn't
develop that self regulatory process so
this sort of helps us understand that
most kids even when they do some very
serious or dangerous things will grow up
and out of crime so then what do we do
across this country we have an
expression also called justice by
geography where you live determines how
the law is going to treat you for
instance here in the state of California
at the age of fourteen you can be
automatically transferred to the
criminal justice system Colorado the age
is 12 what you'll see here in Wisconsin
is the age of 10 and in fact in in West
Virginia there are some crimes at which
there are no lower age limit at which
they will transfer kids to the criminal
justice system now this is 2016 what's
gonna happen in the next coming years
about how we treat kids and the reason
this is important is because in 2005 we
finally abolished the juvenile death
penalty before 2005 we were one of the
three countries left to still execute
our children in 2012 we've finally put
limits on life without the possibility
of parole for juvenile offenders so
these consequences are really important
when we think about how we treat
children
there's no question children need to be
held accountable every parent in the
room knows that it's not whether you
hold children accountable it's how you
hold them accountable because if you
look today we can try juveniles as
adults in the criminal justice system
but they can't go get a job they can't
buy a pack of cigarettes or get a
cocktail they certainly can't vote and
rental car agencies have known for years
never to rent a car to anybody under the
age of 25 these are important because as
we think about kids we need to think
about a justice system that takes
science and in particular development
into account because at the end of the
day kids are not many at you're adults
and they shouldn't be treated as such
thank you
you
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