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Brief for Amici Curiae The Legal Action Center, et al., in Support of Appellants
Amici argue that New York law protects people with conviction histories from hiring discrimination by both direct employers and controlling third parties. They assert that entities dictating "no-hire" policies are liable.
Adolescents in Peer Groups Make More Prudent Decisions When a Slightly Older Adult Is Present
Adolescents take more risks in groups than alone, but having an older adult present may reduce this behavior. This study examined how an adult's presence affects group decision-making and risk-taking among late adolescents.
Alcohol and Drug Use and the Developing Brain
Adolescent substance use, especially alcohol and marijuana, begins earlier in life and correlates with poorer outcomes. This review focuses on how substance use impacts crucial brain development during this period.
An Upside to Reward Sensitivity: the Hippocampus Supports Enhanced Reinforcement Learning in Adolescence
Adolescents learn better from positive and negative feedback than adults. This enhanced learning is linked to greater activity in brain regions associated with memory and reward processing.
Buffering Social Influence: Neural Correlates of Response Inhibition Predict Driving Safety in the Presence of a Peer
Social influence impacts behavior throughout life, especially among adolescent peers. Susceptibility to influence can lead to risky behaviors like drug or alcohol use and unsafe driving.
Frontostriatal White Matter Integrity Predicts Development of Delay of Gratification: a Longitudinal Study
This study found that the ability to delay gratification improves with age. Maturation of brain connections between reward and control centers predicts this improvement.
Neurobiology of Addiction: a Neurocircuitry Analysis
Drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing disorder with a cycle of binge/intoxication, withdrawal, and craving. This condition involves neuroplastic changes in the brain's reward, stress, and executive function systems.
Peer Passenger Norms and Pressure: Experimental Effects on Simulated Driving Among Teenage Males
Teen crash rates are higher than adults due to inexperience and development. Peers, especially male passengers, increase risk-taking in adolescent drivers.
Searching for Signatures of Brain Maturity: What Are We Searching For?
Neuroscientific evidence of brain development is increasingly used in legal and policy discussions. However, there is no scientific consensus on what constitutes a "mature" brain, as development continues past age 30.
The Dual Systems Model: Review, Reappraisal, and Reaffirmation
Adolescent risk-taking is linked to different brain systems developing at different rates. A system seeking rewards matures earlier than the system controlling impulses, contributing to risky behaviors during these years.
The Neurobiology of the Emotional Adolescent: From the Inside Out
Adolescent emotional lives are complex, shaped by hormonal changes, brain development, and evolving social relationships. Research shows three main connections between neurobiology and emotions in adolescence.
Psychological Mechanisms Mediating Effects Between Trauma and Psychotic Symptoms: The Role of Affect Regulation, Intrusive Trauma Memory, Beliefs, and Depression
The article finds a strong, consistent link between childhood victimization and psychosis.
Jonhson v Wetzel
The court found 36 years of solitary confinement likely violated the 8th Amendment due to severe psychological harm. The isolation was clinically distressing and lacked justification.
Brief of Amicus Curiae American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Support of Petitioner
This brief argues that routine strip searches of youth in juvenile detention are harmful. It advocates for a separate, more tailored standard for youth due to their unique vulnerability to psychological harm.
Brief of Amicus Curiae American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children in Support of Petitioner
This brief argues that Joseph H.'s severe childhood abuse compromised his ability to understand his Miranda rights. The lower court failed to adequately weigh the impact of his maltreatment, violating his constitutional rights.