Letter to the Editor, Tuesday February 24, 2015

Positive peer pressure

The teenage brain is a strange and fascinating place, almost as chaotic in comparison to an adult brain as a typical teenage bedroom compared to an immaculately presented show home.

According to the Brainwave Trust's Nathan Wallis, recently in Northland to present a seminar on adolescent brain development, we, as a society, have a lot to learn when it comes to understanding and responding appropriately to our young people.

A teenager is much more than simply a small adult or 'mini-me'. This may be no surprise to parents like myself, whose teenage children tower over us, outgrow five family members between Christmas Day and Waitangi weekend and always need new shoes.

Unlike us adults, teenagers are living through a period of intense brain development. An adolescent brain is typically twice as active as the brain of an average adult, a fact that may seem incredible when you think about your young person's apparently vacant stare and constant complaints of boredom.

On the other hand, these high levels of brain activity explain why the everyday pace of life seems slow and boring to our young people.

Until fairly recently the reasons for the risk-taking, sensation-seeking, peer-pressured behaviours which teens tend to engage in were not well understood by neuroscientists. However, with the advent of brain scans came the ability to look inside the human head.

Through contemporary neuroscience research we have learned that the frontal cortex, a sophisticated section of the brain which is responsible for behaviour regulation, emotional control and the ability to understand others' viewpoints, goes through accelerated development during adolescence.

At this stage the adolescent frontal cortex is virtually 'closed for renovations'. Our adolescents experience a reduced capability to think with their frontal cortex, which is busy growing. In comparison to a typical 10-year-old, teens maybe less able to assess risk, control emotion or recognise the feelings of others.

Teens are highly influenced by their peer group, research suggesting that risk-taking behaviour is three times more likely when teens are in the company of peers. The good news is that this peer influence can work positively.

If a group of young people are at risk of becoming involved in crime, violence or bullying, then they are as easily swayed toward good choices as poor choices. The key factor is that the influence must come from a member of their peer group. If just one teenager can say "Nah man, not me," then their friends are likely to join them.

Parents and whanau can talk to young people about this positive side of peer pressure. It's good for our teens to know that it's okay to be the one person who goes against the group, and that some of their friends will have their back.

If your teenager isn't listening to you, think about who else you can ask to talk to them. Another teen or a youth mentor may speak the right language for that chaotic adolescent brain.

AYA MORRIS

Far North Safer Community Council

Kaitaia