A number of the articles this week discuss how the teenage brain is still developing. The last brain region to fully mature is the frontal cortex, which governs executive functions, including risk assessment and impulsive behavior. Based on what we know about neural development and its relationship to behavior, to what extent should teens be held accountable as adults for irrational/impulsive behaviors in our justice system? Could there be an evolutionary explanation for this behavior – could it be adaptive somehow?
Links
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/01/28/381622350/why-teens-are-impulsive-addiction-prone-and-should-protect-their-brains
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