The Teen Brain

Source: Connect with Kids

“Brain maturation is still going on well into adulthood. And, as a parent, a parent’s job will be to help transition to get to that point in adulthood.”

– Tom Burns, Psy.D., Director of Neuropsychology, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Teenagers and adults don’t often think alike.

“Teenagers – we think totally different,” says 14 year-old Quinton Eberhardt. “We‘re more spontaneous and risky.”

And, teens are more likely to take truly dangerous chances like, “drinking, taking drugs, doing street racing when they’re drunk,” says 17-year-old Vanessa Maymi.

Fourteen-year-old Sam Barksdale sees kids take risks in other ways.

“I know a lot of kids who skate and they … just [jump] over, like, 14 stairs on a piece of wood,” he says.

And 16-year-old Gabriel Vazquez agrees that risk-taking is a part of adolescence.

“We get bored very easily,” he says. “It takes more for us to get excited.”

That need for more excitement isn’t just an adolescent stage – it’s a biological one.

In a study from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, researchers have found that the ventral striatum or reward center of a teenager’s brain is less developed than an adult’s.

“The hypothesis being, in order for them to achieve satisfaction in that area, they would go further behaviorally to achieve it,” says Dr. Tom Burns, director of neuropsychology at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “They would be more likely to drink more or to get involved for example with smoking to reach that level.”

In other words, it takes a bigger, more intense reward to stimulate a teen’s brain. And that could lead some to take risks, ranging from extreme sports to drinking or drugs.

Dr. Burns says, “Brain maturation is still going on well into adulthood. And, as a parent, a parent’s job will be to help transition to get to that point in adulthood.”

And that means giving kids your views and judgment to fall back on until they’re ready to rely on their own.

“They know already, ‘Okay, I learned this and my mom taught me, you know, this ain’t the right thing to go, the right way, and I gotta look at my future,’” says 17-year-old Vanessa Maymi.

Tips for Parents

Recent breakthroughs in technology, specifically brain “scanning” technology, have shown that environmental factors play a much larger role in children’s brain development than experts previously thought. When babies are born, they have all of the neurons or brain cells they will ever have but lack the connections or wiring between the neurons. Research shows that the experiences a child has during the first three years of life have a major impact on how the child’s brain is wired. The American Library Association (ALA) says every nursery rhyme reading or peek-a-boo game helps form and strengthen thousands of connections among the brain, connections that are not easily formed later in life.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) “strongly recommends” that parents read to their children daily beginning by six months of age. According to the AAP, “Reading aloud to children helps stimulate brain development, yet only 50% of infants and toddlers are routinely read to by their parents. … Reading with your child not only stimulates development of your child’s brain, but it also fuels a close emotional relationship between you and your child.”

One way to help your teen avoid taking risks is by teaching him or her the necessary skills for good decision-making. The Ohio State University Extension outlines the following steps to teach your teen:

Identify and define the problem.

List possible options/alternatives. Use a brainstorming technique where you put a lot of ideas on paper. It is important to let your teen come up with the first idea and put it down even if it doesn’t seem workable to you. If they he or she can’t seem to get started, ask if you may make a suggestion. Making it silly or outlandish may encourage your teen to be free to express his or her ideas. Remember not to be judgmental. This is just a gathering of ideas.

Evaluate the options. Let your teen evaluate the options with you there for guidance, support and encouragement. If you see a point he or she is not thinking of, ask your teen if you can bring up a point. By asking permission, your teen is more likely to really listen to your point and not consider it a lecture or put down of his or her ideas and thought process. Having your teen ask the following four questions can help him or her evaluate the available options: Is it unkind? Is it hurtful? Is it unfair? Is it dishonest?

Choose one option. It is important that the solution to the problem does not create a problem for someone else.

Make a plan and execute it. This is probably the most difficult step. If your teen’s choice is not acceptable to the other person, he or she may need to go back to the list of options.
Evaluate the problem and solution. This is probably the most neglected step in decision-making but it is critical to the learning process. Examine the following issues: What brought the problem about? Can a similar problem be prevented in the future? How was the present problem solved? Your teen can feel good about his or her success – or learn and take ownership of looking for another solution. Avoid saying “I told you so” if your teen’s solution didn’t work.
As your teen begins to make important life decisions, the National PTA advises that you keep the following points in mind:

Help your teen understand that decisions have consequences both for himself or herself and others. For instance, a teen might decide to take up smoking because it looks “mature” without considering that smoking carries a variety of consequences including yellow teeth, smoker’s breath, an expensive habit and increased risk of cancer and heart disease.

Show your teen that not making a decision when one is needed can be as bad as making the “wrong” decision. Your teenage son can’t decide whether to rent a black or white tuxedo for the prom. In the meantime, all the tuxedos are rented, and now he must buy one.

If you are not sure what kinds of decisions your teen is mature enough to handle, give him or her the chance to try making some decisions. Be supportive, friendly and ready at-hand to save the day, if necessary. This will help you and your teen know what he or he is ready to do for him/herself.

Accept your teen’s decisions. Remember, no decision is perfect. Support his or her ability to make decisions.

Understand that many of your teen’s decisions will be based on his or her personal tastes and needs and, therefore, may not match the decision you would have made for him or her.
Lay ground rules or limits for decision-making. If your teen wants to do something that is clearly harmful or unacceptable, explain why you cannot allow him or her to act on that decision.
According to the American Psychological Association, many times you can offset dangerous risk-taking behavior simply by being there. Knowing what is going on in his or her life is the most effective thing you can do to keep your teen physically and emotionally safe:

Encourage positive risk-taking.

Having a solid relationship with your teen, preferably begun when he or she was young, can help him or her make judgment calls when you are not there to supervise. At the least, it will keep the door open for your teen to talk to you about the issues he or she faces.
Be able to speak frankly with your teen about addictive substances. Most important, set a good example.

Establish a pattern of asking and, as much as possible, knowing where your teen is and with whom he or she is spending time.

Searching your teen’s room or insisting on a drug test should not be undertaken lightly. Teens need their privacy. Still, you have a job to protect him or her.

The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign says that sometimes, teens lack the language they need in order to help them stay away from risky situations. Here are some lines you can provide to your teen with in the event that he or she is offered drugs by his or her friends:

“No, thanks. It’s not for me.”
“Why would I want to mess up a good thing? I’m cool the way I am.”
“You’re kidding, right? Why would I do something so dumb?”
“No way, man. Taking drugs is stupid.”
“Can’t do it. Gotta get home.”
“I tried drinking and got sick.”
“That’s illegal. I don’t want to get in trouble.”
“I have a big game tomorrow.”
“I’m up for a scholarship and don’t want to blow it.”
“My parents would kill me.”
“My cousin smoked marijuana and got caught by the police.”
“I can’t use drugs. I have a big test tomorrow.”
“I could get kicked off the team if anyone found out.”

Another essential method of keeping your teen free from risks is to keep the lines of communication open. Keep in mind these points about communication from the Child Development Institute:

Let your teen know that you are interested and involved and that you will help when needed.
Turn off the television or put the newspaper down when your teen wants to converse.
Avoid taking a telephone call when your teen has something important to tell you.
Unless other people are specifically meant to be included, hold conversations in private. The best communication between you and your teen will occur when others are not around.
Embarrassing your teen or putting him or her on the spot in front of others will lead only to resentment and hostility, not good communication.

If you are very angry about a behavior or an incident, don’t attempt communication until you regain your cool because you cannot be objective until then. It is better to stop, settle down and talk to your teen later.

Listen carefully and politely. Don’t interrupt your teen when he or she is trying to tell his or her story. Be as courteous to your teen as you would be to your best friend.

If you have knowledge of the situation, confront your teen with the information that you know or have been told.

Keep “adult talking” (“You’ll talk when I’m finished.” “I know what’s best for you.” “Just do what I say and that will solve the problem”), preaching and moralizing to a minimum because they are not helpful in getting communication open and keeping it open.

Reinforce the idea of open communication by accepting praising your teenager’s efforts to communicate.

References
American Psychological Association
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Child Development Institute
National Household Survey on Drug Abuse
National PTA
National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign
Ohio State University Extension
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System