Arrested Development: Adolescent Development & Juvenile Justice | Elizabeth Cauffman | TEDxUCIrvine

Summary

This 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

00:00

📚 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.

05:02

🧠 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.

10:03

🏛 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.

Keywords

💡Adolescence

Adolescence refers to the transitional stage of physical and psychological development that occurs between childhood and adulthood. In the video, it is highlighted as a period marked by significant growth and change, including physical, emotional, and cognitive development. The script discusses how adolescents think abstractly and long-term, which is crucial for understanding their decision-making processes and the implications for legal treatment.

💡Cognitive Development

Cognitive development is the process of acquiring mental abilities and understanding the world, which advances significantly during adolescence. The video emphasizes that by age 16, adolescents' cognitive abilities are similar to those of adults, allowing them to think abstractly and consider the consequences of their actions. However, this cognitive advancement does not always prevent risky behavior, which is a central theme of the video.

💡Psychosocial Development

Psychosocial development involves the emotional and social aspects of growth, which continue to evolve throughout adolescence and into adulthood. The script points out that while adolescents may cognitively understand right from wrong, their emotional development lags behind, affecting their impulse control and decision-making, as illustrated by the 'starting the engine without a skilled driver' analogy.

💡Impulse Control

Impulse control is the ability to resist or manage the urge to act on impulses, especially those that could lead to negative consequences. The video discusses how this aspect of psychosocial development is crucial for self-regulation and is still developing in adolescents, leading to the gap between knowing and doing, which is central to understanding adolescent behavior.

💡Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal cortex is a region of the brain involved in executive functions such as decision-making, impulse control, and planning. The video explains that this part of the brain is like the 'CEO of the company' and is the last to fully develop, typically not until around age 25. Its development is critical for understanding why adolescents might make poor decisions despite their cognitive abilities.

💡Myelination

Myelination is the process by which a fatty substance called myelin forms around the axons of nerve cells, improving the speed and efficiency of nerve signals. The video describes myelination as a change in the brain that occurs during adolescence, contributing to the development of more direct and efficient neural pathways, which is essential for better decision-making and behavior control.

💡Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with the brain's reward system, influencing motivation, pleasure, and reinforcement of behaviors. The video mentions that changes in dopamine levels during adolescence can lead to heightened feelings of pleasure from rewarding activities, which may contribute to risky behavior as adolescents seek out these experiences.

💡Juvenile Justice System

The juvenile justice system is a legal framework designed to address offenses committed by minors, with the aim of rehabilitation and education rather than punishment. The video discusses the importance of considering developmental factors when treating adolescents within this system, as it affects how they are held accountable for their actions and their potential for rehabilitation.

💡Desistance

Desistance refers to the process of ceasing or reducing criminal behavior, often seen in the context of adolescent development. The video presents research showing that most adolescents 'grow out of crime' as they develop self-regulatory abilities, with only a small percentage persisting in high-level offending behavior.

💡Accountability

Accountability in the context of the video refers to the responsibility and obligation to hold children responsible for their actions, but in a manner that is developmentally appropriate. The script argues for a justice system that takes into account the developmental differences between children and adults, emphasizing the importance of how, not just whether, children are held accountable.

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