There are compelling reasons why teenagers are prone to risky behavior. In a sense, they are wired to do so. In the early 21st century, researchers discovered that earlier theories about brain development in adolescents were erroneous. Previously, scientists believed that the brain was essentially formed by about age 10. But advances in imaging allow researchers to study the teen brain in much greater detail. The teen brain, in fact, is still growing and changing. In particular, the frontal lobes in the brain, which regulate impulse and mood, are not fully connected until people are in their 20s. Coupled with peer pressure, biology, and the need to establish their own identity, teenagers and risk-taking are as intertwined as macaroni and cheese. However, parental influence can make a big difference in steering teens toward healthy risk-taking.
Brain Development
The frontal lobes of teens are not fully connected because the nerve cells in that region of the brain lack the protective coating of adult nerve cells. The coating is myelin, also called white matter, a fatty substance that acts as insulation and allows signals to flow easily between various parts of the brain. Since the frontal lobes are sometimes referred to the as CEO of the brain, acting as the center of "sober second thoughts," teenagers are left without a strong check on their impulse toward risk-taking. Add in the fact that teen brains also are more excitable, and risk-taking is almost inevitable.
Peer Pressure
As "Reuters Health" explains, peer pressure greatly influences teens, in both positive and negative ways. The need to be accepted by their peers and fit into the group often tempts teens to go along with risky behavior, such as taking drugs, smoking and driving recklessly. In fact, a study at the National Institutes of Health concluded that teens are more likely to engage in risky behavior if they are in a car with friends of their own gender.
Self-Identity
Teens are eager to fit in with their peers, and, at the same time, eager to establish their own identity. Without the maturity of an adult brain, teens often are egocentric. As Harvard neurologist Frances Jensen, who studied teen behavior when her kids were adolescents, told NPR, "You think of them as these surly, rude, selfish people. Well, actually, that's the developmental stage they're at...not capable, necessarily of thinking about the effects of their behavior on other people. That requires insight." Couple egocentric behavior with the sense of invincibility most teens possess, and risk-taking behavior often ensues.
Parental Influence
Steering teenagers toward healthy risk-taking -- sports, acting, debate competition -- isn't easy, but parents might have more influence over their kids that they realize. Dr. Lawrence Steinberg of Temple University, who analyzed research concerning the brain and behavior and published his results in "Current Directions in Psychological Science," says, "Kids during adolescence still need a lot of parental control and monitoring." The teen years, he adds, are not the time to "check out." Research published in the "Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine" indicates that direct and effective communication by parents to their teens should influence their behavior. Parental influence has a continuing effect during adolescence, most strongly with younger teens and more indirectly with older teens who are heavily influenced by peer groups.
References
- Reuters Health; Puberty, Risky Behaviors Go Hand-In-Hand; Anne Harding; April 2007
- NPR; The Teen Brain; It's Just Not Grown Up Yet; Richard Knox; March 2010
- Understanding Teenagers; Why Teenagers Take Risks; September 2010
- "Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine"; Adolescent Risk Behavior and the Influence of Parents and Education; Nelson, Patience and MacDonald; 1999
