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Catherine Francis on new research that sheds light on teenagers' behaviour ...

Teenagers: the brain changes that explain them ...

Youth workers and parents who struggle to make sense of their difficult teenage charges will be interested to learn about a recent study published in the journal Brain And Cognition. Neurologists at San Diego State University believe they’ve found a biological cause for teen angst.

It seems that classic teenage rudeness, selfishness and reckless behaviour aren’t just the product of bad parenting, falling in with the wrong crowd, or hormonal mood swings – but also of neurological changes in the brain.

Initial research discovered that nerve activity in teenagers’ brains becomes so intense, they can find it hard to process basic information. This is due to an increase in the connectivity of nerves in the prefrontal cortex – the area responsible for judgement, reason, inhibitions and suppressing risky behaviour – while the brain is being ‘remodelled’ during puberty.

So just when young people are exposed to more adult situations, and expected to increase their personal and social responsibility, their brains struggle to cope, and they can behave more irrationally and childishly than ever.

The latest study shows that, in particular, changes in the brain affect teenagers’ ability to recognise other people’s feelings. Some 300 participants were shown photos of faces displaying different emotions, and asked to describe those emotions. The speed and skill with which participants could identify the emotions dropped by 20% around the age of 11 – slowly improving year on year to regain a normal level by around 19 years old.

Suddenly, the classic image of the sulky, rude teenager, who always finds life so ‘unfair’, starts to make sense!

Of course, this doesn’t mean home life, school and peers don’t influence a teenager’s character development. Clearly, social environment, the right kinds of discipline and suitable role models during those malleable pubescent years can make or break an individual.

In fact, a teenager’s vulnerable mental and emotional state makes their environment and influences more important than ever.

But it might be encouraging for parents and youth workers to know there’s a genuine biological cause behind the obnoxious behaviour sometimes displayed by even the most decent kids.

And although the time and effort we invest in our young people may sometimes appear fruitless at the time, it’s never wasted. The work we put in now means that even seemingly horrid teenagers can grow into sensible, compassionate adults.

Catherine Francis is a journalist and singer-songwriter based in London

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		INSIGHT Catherine Francis on new research that sheds light on teenagers' behaviour ... Teenagers: the brain changes that explain them ... Youth workers and parents who struggle to make sense of their difficult teenage charges will be interested to learn about a recent study published in the journal Brain And Cognition. Neurologists at San Diego State University believe they’ve found a biological cause for teen angst. It seems that classic teenage rudeness, selfishness and reckless behaviour aren’t just the product of bad parenting, falling in with the wrong crowd, or hormonal mood swings – but also of neurological changes in the brain. Initial research discovered that nerve activity in teenagers’ brains becomes so intense, they can find it hard to process basic information. This is due to an increase in the connectivity of nerves in the prefrontal cortex – the area responsible for judgement, reason, inhibitions and suppressing risky behaviour – while the brain is being ‘remodelled’ during puberty. So just when young people are exposed to more adult situations, and expected to increase their personal and social responsibility, their brains struggle to cope, and they can behave more irrationally and childishly than ever. The latest study shows that, in particular, changes in the brain affect teenagers’ ability to recognise other people’s feelings. Some 300 participants were shown photos of faces displaying different emotions, and asked to describe those emotions. The speed and skill with which participants could identify the emotions dropped by 20% around the age of 11 – slowly improving year on year to regain a normal level by around 19 years old. Suddenly, the classic image of the sulky, rude teenager, who always finds life so ‘unfair’, starts to make sense! Of course, this doesn’t mean home life, school and peers don’t influence a teenager’s character development. Clearly, social environment, the right kinds of discipline and suitable role models during those malleable pubescent years can make or break an individual. In fact, a teenager’s vulnerable mental and emotional state makes their environment and influences more important than ever. But it might be encouraging for parents and youth workers to know there’s a genuine biological cause behind the obnoxious behaviour sometimes displayed by even the most decent kids. And although the time and effort we invest in our young people may sometimes appear fruitless at the time, it’s never wasted. The work we put in now means that even seemingly horrid teenagers can grow into sensible, compassionate adults. Catherine Francis is a journalist and singer-songwriter based in London © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.