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Put the Juvenile Back in Juvenile Court
Many states determine juvenile court jurisdiction by an offender's age at the time of legal proceedings, not the offense.
Reappraising the Role of Dopamine in Adolescent Risk-Taking Behavior
Dopamine in the brain plays a key role in motivation and reward. Changes in dopamine pathways during adolescence are linked to increased sensation-seeking and risk-taking behaviors.
Risk Decision Making and Executive Function Among Adolescents and Young Adults
Adolescence involves increased risky behaviors. Research suggests differences in risk decision-making between young adults and adolescents are linked to improvements in executive function.
Daring and Distress: Insights on Adolescent Risk Taking and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation from a Network Analysis Perspective
This article explores how adolescent risk-taking differs from self-harm. It highlights that risk-taking often involves social contexts and seeking excitement, while self-harm is driven by distress and coping difficulties.
Homicide and Criminal Maturity of Juvenile Offenders: A Critical Review
The Supreme Court’s Miller v. Alabama decision struck down mandatory life without parole for juvenile murderers. The Court cited juveniles' diminished culpability and greater potential for reform.
How Important Is Developmental Maturity in Assessing Whether Adolescents Will Share True or False Accounts of a First Offense in Legal Interactions?
Adolescents often feel pressure during legal interactions, which can affect their truthfulness. They may conceal information or give false confessions due to fear or a desire to avoid immediate discomfort.
Neurobiological Development in Adolescence and Early Adulthood: Implications for Positive Youth Adjustment
Adolescent brains undergo dramatic, positive development into their 20s and 30s. Media often mischaracterizes this period, linking negative stereotypes to increased risk-taking in youth.
Redefining Youth: The Case for Applying the Principles of Miller v. Alabama to Criminal Cases Involving Adults in Late Adolescence
This article argues that late adolescents, ages 18-21, should receive similar sentencing considerations as juveniles due to their brain development and capacity for rehabilitation.
Risk-Taking Behavior of Adolescents and Young Adults Born Preterm
Young adults born preterm had lower rates of teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, payment defaults, substance abuse, and criminal offenses compared to those born at full term.
The Teenage Brain: Sensitivity to Social Evaluation
Adolescence is marked by increased social sensitivity, where social evaluation and peer relationships become intensely important.
The Effect of Parents and Peers on the Neural Correlates of Risk Taking and Antisocial Behavior During Adolescence
This study investigated how parent closeness and deviant peer affiliation in early adolescence, along with brain activation during risky decision-making, contribute to later antisocial behavior in adolescent girls.
Adolescence as a Pivotal Period for Emotion Regulation Development
Caregivers shape adolescent emotion regulation skills. Parental skills and behaviors predict youth emotion regulation, influencing both typical development and those at risk.
Adolescent Brain and Alcohol
Adolescent binge drinking increases the risk of adult psychiatric and substance use disorders. It causes lasting changes in brain function, connectivity, and behavior, affecting memory and social skills.
Cascades from Early Adolescent Impulsivity to Late Adolescent Antisocial Personality Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder
Targeting impulsivity early in adolescence could prevent alcohol use disorder and antisocial personality disorder by slowing the growth of antisocial behavior. Intervening after early adolescence may be too late to prevent these conditions.
Contribution of Brain Cortical Features to the Psychological Risk Profile of Juvenile Offenders
Most adolescent crime stops in adulthood, but a small group of offenders continue into later life. This persistent behavior is linked to early adversity, psychopathy, and neurodevelopmental challenges.