Aaron M' White, Ph'D'

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Adolescent brain development Policy implications
Using Science to Raise Healthy Teens in a Toxic
World
Aaron M. White, Ph.D. Department of
Psychiatry Duke University Medical Center
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Thank you!
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Overview

• Adolescence is when we train kids to how to
  be adults

• The adolescent brain is molded by
  interactions with the outside world

• Both healthy and unhealthy interactions shape
  brains and behavior

• Important to create healthy environments to raise
  healthy kids

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Adolescence

• Transition from childhood (dependence) to
  adulthood (independence)

• Very tumultuous time and this is normal!

• Experiences would be wasted if the teen brain
  were not so malleable

• Extensive changes in brain during teens

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Adolescent brain development
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Is the teen brain a myth?
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Frontal lobes

• Planning, decision-making, impulse control,
  memory, language

• Seriously remodeled during adolescence

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Threats to the teen brain

• Alcohol and other drugs

• Exposure to violence

• Stress

• Physical health

• Sub-optimal environments

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Starting early is bad news
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Threats to the teen brain

• Alcohol and other drugs

• Exposure to violence

• Stress

• Physical health

• Sub-optimal environments

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Bullying and brain development

• Physical aggression, threats, teasing,
  harassment, relational

• Quite common among kids (and adults)

- Perhaps 30 are bullies or bullied

• Poorer outcomes for both groups

• Physical bullying peaks during middle school but
  verbal continues throughout

• Study of 28 countries shows health effects of
  bullying

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Bullying and emotional trauma
Every day I go through stages of name calling,
getting stuff thrown in my hair, getting spat at,
getting kicked, getting pencils stabbed in me.
They call me Smellie Nellie, Smellie bitch,
you're fat, you need a face lift and all sorts
like that. - 15 yr old female student in UK
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Why do some kids bully?

• Acquiring social competence is part of adolescent
  development

• Some kids do not learn healthy ways of doing so

• Parental modeling

• Peer modeling

• Games? Movies?

• Provides a sense of control during a tumultuous
  period

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Impact on mind and brain

• Bullies learn to strong-arm or manipulate their
  way to the top

• Failed attempts to stop bullies can give them a
  sense of being above rules

• Bullied kids made to feel weak and less valuable
  to society

• As with all experiences of adolescence, these can
  have major impact on brain

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Threats to the teen brain

• Alcohol and other drugs

• Exposure to violence

• Stress

• Physical health

• Sub-optimal environments

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Emotional development in kids

• and - interactions with the environment
  shape emotional reactions, decision making,
  etcetera

• Internalizing locus of control very important for
  successful development

• It is the responsibility of families, schools and
  communities to shape healthy emotions in kids

• A healthy emotional foundation is critical for
  healthy adult behavior

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Threats to the teen brain

• Alcohol and other drugs

• Exposure to violence

• Stress

• Physical health

• Sub-optimal environments

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Physical health during adolescence

• Obesity is a bigger problem than many recognize

• Depression

• Disease states

• Early menarche

• Shorter life expectancies

• Exercise is important for brain health

• Inadequate health care for teens

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Threats to the teen brain

• Alcohol

• Exposure to violence

• Stress

• Physical health

• Sub-optimal environments

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American schools How are we doing? The Digest
of Education Statistics 2005 (Table 391) provides
data comparing 15 year old students in various
countries on mathematics literacy, reading
literacy, science literacy and problem solving
skills. Data were collected during 2003. How do
American kids compare? The scales were
constructed to have international averages of
500, so anything below 500 is below average. Our
ranking relative to other countries can be found
in parenthesis. Math literacy 483 (25th out
of 30) Science literacy 495 (16th out of
30) Reading literacy 491 (20th out of
30) Problem solving 497 (25th out of
30) Interestingly, our kids seem to have way
more confidence in their abilities than their
scores reveal. More American 15-year-olds (51)
indicated they had a high level of confidence in
their math skills than did 15-year-olds in all
but three of 45 other countries! In other words,
while our kids score in the bottom 20 on math
tests, they score in the top 10 in terms of
self-confidence in their mathematical skills!
(Table 397)
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• Attributes of the Mastery Model
• Improvements in physical facilities
• Teacher development, including promotions and
  bonuses based on student performance
• An emphasis on teaching students to take
  responsibility for the quality of their school
• Requiring students to treat others with respect
  and courteousness
• An emphasis on order and discipline, such as
  walking in single file lines between classes
• Students wear name badges and carry a card for
  listing both merits and demerits
• Incorporation of technology into classrooms and
  maintenance of a 31 ratio of students to
  computers.
• Individualized attention via small classes of
  around 24 students and small schools with less
  than 600 students
• All students are required to agree to, and abide
  by, a code of conduct that emphasis personal
  responsibility for actions
• Mandatory tutoring for struggling students
• An emphasis on rewarding good behavior rather
  than simply punishing bad behavior

Our approach is not metal detectors and security
guards. The approach is to build a school
community that supports and polices itself. Our
deans of students are really proactive -
combination of disciplinarians and social workers
who work with kids before problems arise and work
closely with parents." Scott Gordon, CEO of
Mastery Charter Schools
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The power of communities

• Kids will grow to reflect their environments

• We must invest in creating healthy communities
  for kids

• We must reward adults for mentoring

• We must teach and reinforce civics

• We will benefit from such investments for the
  rest of an individuals life!

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An example from England
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For parents and communities

• Talks to kids about risks

• Let them know your opinions
• Associated with better outcomes

• Teach by example

• Embrace the changes in teens

• Create opportunities for kids

• Hawaii example

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Remember that words are powerful!

• Sticks and stones can break bones, but words can
  really hurt.

• Sometimes words speak louder than actions.

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Messages for teens

• Take care of yourself both physically and
  emotionally

• Both facilitate brain development

• Establish healthy habits now

• Habits can be hard to break

• Use this to your advantage!

• Establish healthy relationships

• Learn, learn, learn!!!

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You are in control

• You can influence your own brain development

• Difficult decisions are still decisions

• Make decisions about alcohol and other drugs very
  carefully

• May be particularly bad for young brains

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