CHYS 3P36 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Omar Khadr, Seat Belt, Frontal Lobe
Child and Youth Studies
CHYS 3P24
Dr. J. McNamara
October 16, 2017
Midterm Paper
- Research and practice
- What’s the research behind friendship?
- What’s behind friendship?
- **transitions – tell a story
- Can write in first person
- Lecture notes cited as “intext”
Adolescence
Traditional ways we think about teens
▪ Increased risk taking (North American adolescence)
– Alcohol
– Drugs
– Delinquency
– Etc.
▪ Highly emotional
▪ Decision making
▪ Struggle with parents
Stats
▪ 13,000 adolescent deaths each year
– 70% of these are motor vehicle, accidental, homicide, etc.
▪ 72% of teens have used alcohol
▪ 44% have tried smoking
▪ 10% have tried illicit drugs
▪ 13% have driven under the influence
▪ 46% had sex
– 34% had unprotected sex
Stats Cont’s
▪ Results from the 2005 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) show that adolescents
engage in behaviors that increase their likelihood of death by:
– driving a vehicle after drinking or without a seat belt,
– carrying weapons,
– using illegal substances, and
– engaging in unprotected sex resulting in unintended pregnancies and STDs,
including HIV infection
▪ Looking toward the short-term benefits rather than the long-term consequences
Why does this occur?
- The peer group you surround yourself in
- You typically want to be the guy who stands out the most
Increased Emotional Reactivity
- When your parents don’t allow you to do certain things other teenages may be doing. For
ex. Going to a party.
o Teenagers typically storm to their bedroom as an emotional reactivity
Nathan Kotylak
- A kid that was a straight A team who typically had a lot of friends
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
- He was setting a police car on fire and got caught on tape
Nathan’s Explanation
“For Reasons I Can’t Explain…” *** This quote is on the midterm essay***
Don’t worry Nathan, we can explain them…
The Case of Omar Khadr
▪ Built and launched an IED killing an American soldier
▪ He was 15 (is there something about being 15 we should think about? Is there something
about being a teen we should think about?)
▪ Arrested and detained at Guantanamo since then
▪ Interrogated repeatedly for years
The Boys’ Defence Council
▪ Were these boys criminally culpable at the time of the event?
Look to the Science of Adolescence
Saving the Best for Last
▪ The Cortex makes up 85% of our brain
▪ Cortex is responsible for decision making, reasoning, etc.
▪ Massive development between 13 and 20
▪ Not fully developed until early 20s
Frontal Lobe
▪ Executive functions
– Planning
– Decision making
– Self regulation
– Consequences
Why all the “Drama”
▪ Adults use their pre-frontal cortex when making decisions (fMRI)
▪ Teens’ pre-frontal cortex is not yet developed
▪ So, teen brains use the “amygdala” when making decisions (fMRI)
▪ The amydala controls emotions
- Teens do thing about the outcomes that you could happen if they decide to do any risky
behaviors
- Emotional decisions aren’t the best decisions
- Teenagers don’t think about the long-term consequences that come along to making
risky behaviors
- They feel pressure to make risky behaviors because of their friends. Teens usually think
because their friends are doing it, it’s okay if they do it.
-
Living on the Edge!
▪ Seratonin and Dopamine are fluctuating and peaking
– Seratonin has a “calming effect” that controls impulse levels
– Dopamine has a “feel good” effect that can inhibit decision making
- Why do teens like listening to loud music? Ex. Teens enjoy watching MTV, going to
raves, going out clubbing etc.
Myelination
▪ Fatty tissue covering axons of neurons
▪ Strengthens neural connections
▪ Neurons in frontal lobe are not fully myelinated until late adolescence
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
70% of these are motor vehicle, accidental, homicide, etc. Looking toward the short-term benefits rather than the long-term consequences. The peer group you surround yourself in. You typically want to be the guy who stands out the most. When your parents don"t allow you to do certain things other teenages may be doing. Going to a party: teenagers typically storm to their bedroom as an emotional reactivity. A kid that was a straight a team who typically had a lot of friends. He was setting a police car on fire and got caught on tape. For reasons i can"t explain *** this quote is on the midterm essay*** Built and launched an ied killing an american soldier. Is there something about being a teen we should think about?) The cortex makes up 85% of our brain. Cortex is responsible for decision making, reasoning, etc. Adults use their pre-frontal cortex when making decisions (fmri)