Teenage Changes
Adolescence, the phase between childhood and adulthood, is a period of time where an individual will experience many physical maturation and emotional changes.
The physical changes that occur during this time is a process referred to as ‘puberty’. During puberty, the brain releases a lot of chemicals called hormones. These hormones contribute to the physical changes within a child’s body. Children will experience growth spurts. These growth spurts often occur earlier in individuals who are assigned female at birth (AFAB), than those who are assigned male at birth (AMAB). For those who are AFAB, growth spurts usually occur between the ages of 10-14, whereas for those AMAB, this typically occurs between the ages of 14-17. Although it is important to note that this will vary between individuals.
Children will also experience maturity of their sexual organs. Adolescents AFAB will begin to develop breasts between the ages of 10-14. They will also begin menstruating, this commonly occurs roughly 2 years after the breasts start to develop and pubic hair is first noticeable. For those AMAB, they will being to notice their penis and testicles growing. They will also start experiencing erections and ejaculations. Erections can however occur from before birth.
Everyone will mature at some point, but the timings can vary. It is important to have an open line of communication with your child surrounding these changes because there can be a lot of stress attached to being at either end of this spectrum. If your child is experiencing these changes early or late in comparison to their peers, they may feel embarrassed and isolated in their experience. Ensure you make your child feel supported and understood during these changes. Make it known to them that you are there to support them and listen to their concerns. Be careful not to overwhelm them though. It is a sensitive topic and adolescents might not always feel comfortable sharing their problems, let alone with their parents! Knowing that you are there to listen is the best thing you can do for them.
Not long after birth, a human’s brain is fully grown in that the cerebral cortex reaches its maximum volume. However, structural brain maturation is a process that continues throughout adolescence. The main change that occurs within the teenage brain is a process called ‘pruning’. During the adolescent years, the unused connections that an individual may have made during childhood are ‘pruned’ away and other, more useful, connections are strengthened. This creates a more efficient brain. The maximum density of grey matter in the brain is first reached within the sensorimotor cortex and last within areas such as dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Put simply, structural brain maturation occurs from the back to the front of the brain. Areas that serve cognitive functions of behavioural control, decision making, impulse control and planning - occurring in areas such as the prefrontal cortex - mature later than the areas of the brain that’s functions are associated with sensory and motor control.
Because the prefrontal cortex is the last area of the brain to mature, it is common to see teenagers engaging in impulsive and risky behaviours. Whilst this can be attributed to their developing brain, it has been found that adolescents can assess the risk of some behaviours at the same level as adults, when asked as part of a questionnaire. It is therefore suggested that there is often a social element to commonly seen risky behaviours in teenagers. It is presumed that the reason adolescence make more risky decisions within a group than compared to on their own, is the perception that the social benefit of engaging in these risky behaviours is deemed to be higher than the risk itself. Teenagers spend increasing amounts of time with their peers, valuing the feedback they receive from engaging in various behaviours. The teenage brain reward system is much more sensitive to the reward value they receive from engaging in risky behaviours. This sensitivity contributes to a teenagers focus on the short-term benefits and rewards of choosing to engage in risky behaviour over the long-term value of choosing safe alternatives.
Social development is a key aspect of adolescence. It is a time in a person’s life where they are searching for a sense of identity, developing an interest in their sexuality and relationships, spending more time amongst peers and attempting to distance themselves from their parents to gain independence. From a biological standpoint, this has been explained by an imbalance in the maturity of the prefrontal brain areas and the limbic brain areas. From an evolutionary perspective, this temporary imbalance of maturity levels within the various brain areas may serve the purpose of building social competence and resistance. Adolescence is a time to develop independence and separate from the security of the primary familial boundaries. The immaturity of an adolescents prefrontal cortex appears to encourage flexibility and learning.
The biological basis of impulsivity and risk-taking behaviours in teenagers makes it seem like all attempts to suppress these behaviours in your child are bound to fail. As your child gets older you will begin to loose complete control over their actions. It is important that we allow them to have increasing levels of independence and allow them to navigate certain situations alone, to learn and flourish. The more reasonable, and realistically successful, approach would be to ensure your teenage has a safe environment in which they can have these emotional experiences and test the boundaries. This is especially important when you consider the significanct influences a teenagers environment can have on their brain development.
The developing brain is more susceptible to damage from outside influences than the adult brain. Whilst it comes of no surprise that taking drugs during adolescence is harmful. It is not often fully understood as to why engaging in such behaviours is extremely harmful to the teenage brain. It is human nature to seek new ways of finding enjoyment and fulfilling desires. This skill is something that matures during adolescence. It is common for teenagers to begin to explore the world of drugs and alcohol. It is all part of their need to push boundaries and experiment in risky behaviours. However, the use of substances during the critical brain development years can have devastating effects. When substances are used, they trigger a ‘feel good’ response, but this negatively interferes with a teenagers natural reward system.
Within the brain there are billions of nerve cells that control everything that we think, feel and do. They work by sending electrical signal throughout out bodies which are passed between nerves by chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. Some of these neurotransmissions cause us to feel pleasure. It is a natural reward to encourage us to do more of what makes us satisfied. The main neurotransmitter that produces this feel good response is dopamine. When taking drugs for example, our body releases lots of dopamine which overload the brain. In response to an overload of these pleasurable signals, the brain will attempt to balance the levels of ‘feel good’ signals by letting fewer through. Over time, repeated drug use will cause the brain to build a tolerance to the substance as it needs more of the substance to feel the positive effects. This is especially dangerous when using illegal substances such as cocaine. Regular drug use can cause a chemical imbalance within the brain due to the lessened transmission of dopamine. Dopamine levels may remain low for some time after using the substance. The effects of using substances can be felt for several hours, days and even weeks after using the substance - this is entirely dependant on the individual and the amount/frequency they use the substance. Teenage tendencies to act upon their impulses, alongside their dismissal to consider the long term consequences of their behaviour, heightens their risk of using drugs and alcohol in an attempt to satisfy their need to seek pleasure. The teenage brain’s developing internal reward system also makes them more vulnerable to addiction.
As your child begins to explore their independence by attending parties and social events with peers, you will begin to loose control over the external influences they are exposed to. However, you are still a very important part of your child’s environment and your presence remains extremely influential to their brain development. To maximise your teenagers potential and nurture their development into well-rounded members of society, there are a few things we can do as parents and caregivers.
Allow your teenager to take some risks, just ensure they are healthy choices. It is important that your child experiences new things to develop their social identify and independence.
Provide a practical and structural routine within the home. Stability is very important for developing teenagers. It is essential that they feel safe and supported within their own home. This will also help to strengthen their relationships with the members of your household. It is important for teenagers to have someone they can trust can feel understood by.
Offer frequent, but not over-bearing, praise to your child. Encourage desirable behaviours by praising and rewarding them to reinforce the pathways in their teenage brain.
Provide creative outlets and solutions for your child to express their emotions. As the teenage brain develops, there will be a lot of new emotions for your child to navigate and make sense of. For some children, music, sports or art can be useful outlets for them to express themselves. Read our post on ‘The Psychology of Sport’ to learn more about the ways in which physical activity can support your teenagers development.
If you notice your child frequently engaging in harmful behaviours, sit them down and talk through the potential consequences with them. There is no guarantee that they will listen, but it can be useful to highlight to your child the possible negative effects that may come with their negative behaviours. Encourage your child to weigh up the positive consequences and perceived rewards with the negative ones.
Educate yourself and your child on the harmful effects of substance use. Be honest with your child about their developing brain. Help them to understand the importance of developing healthy brain connections during this period of their lives.
Maintain a connection with your child. It can be hard to stay connected with your child as they gain more independence and navigate the world alone. It is unrealistic to know everything your teenager is doing when they are out of your sight but creating a safe, honest and non-judgemental space for your child to exist in can help you to be more approachable. You were a teenager once. Try to relate to the way your teenager is feeling and understand the emotional turmoil that may be occurring within their heads as they grow from a child to an adult. If your child feels as though they can come to you without judgement and that their feelings will be understood, they are more likely to be honest with you about what they are doing and feeling, which will enable you to give them further useful advice to help them deal with their queries and worries.