Teen Brains Not Fully Developed For Empathy? (punishment, America, faith)

[Sunstone]

From BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5327550.stm

Adolescents do not put the part of the brain that considers others' feelings to full use, scientists have found.


It seems our neural decision-making processes mature quite slowly, and researchers think this might help to explain typical teenage behavior.


The adolescent brain undergoes massive changes and does not reach maturity until 20 or 30 years old.

If young people do not have full use of their capacity for empathy until 20 or 30 years old, does this explain why the young are the most likely group to commit crimes against others?

Is there any link between empathy and loving well and truly? If many young people do not have fully developed capacities for empathy until 20 or 30 years old, does that effect how well they can love another person? (Please note: I don't mean how intensely they can love another person, I mean how well they can love another person).

Should the legal system take into account someone's age and likely mental development in handing out punishments for crime? For instance: If a 17 year old does not have a fully developed sense of empathy, should he or she be treated as harshly as a 37 year old who commits the same crime?

[Flappycat]

The thirty-seven year old has the defense of being old and decrepit, though.

[Bishka]

It wouldn't surprise me that most teens are that way.

[GoldenDragon]

Wouldn't that be judging though I'm 20 and since high school I would and still sometimes wonder if I "care too much" about other people ,even of faiths,races and such not my own.
Plus this would give teens an "excuse" for commiting any crimes they do.

[Ðanisty]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

The adolescent brain undergoes massive changes and does not reach maturity until 20 or 30 years old.

My soon to be ex-roommate is 33 and he still acts like a teenager. It wouldn't surprise me at all to find out his brain isn't fully developed.

[jamaesi]

Or could the reason behind people, especially younger people, not caring about others is just because they're a bit selfish, shallow, and rude and do live in a culture (say American culture) that holds those "qualities" up as ideals?

[c0da]

The adolescent brain undergoes massive changes and does not reach maturity until 20 or 30 years old.

That explains why I'm an a*s hole then.

I don't think it should be taken into account when a young person commits a crime. I think somebody might have already mentioned this, but if it was taken into account, young people would just start playing the 'age card', which could result in them getting off with all sorts, especially considering the ridiculous amount of leniency with which the UK government tackles youth crime.

[Feathers in Hair]

As others have noted, this would certainly explain the sometimes extremely-negative environment of high schools. (And help suggest why it's can be a painful environment for those whose 'empathy' is already developed.)

[kreeden]

Originally Posted by jamaesi

Or could the reason behind people, especially younger people, not caring about others is just because they're a bit selfish, shallow, and rude and do live in a culture (say American culture) that holds those "qualities" up as ideals?

In part , but culture has a huge part to play in developing personality . Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development is likely the most accepted these days ....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erikson's_stages_of_psychosocial_development

http://psychology.about.com/od/theor...ychosocial.htm

I don't think that his theory has anything to do with brain developement though . But we do seem to develope along certain paths , as we experience life .

[Lindsey-Loo]

Or could the reason behind people, especially younger people, not caring about others is just because they're a bit selfish, shallow, and rude and do live in a culture (say American culture) that holds those "qualities" up as ideals?

I think this is the main reason teens only care about themselves. It's our culture, not our brain development. Plus, we're contantly moody, which may cause us to snap at our parents or other adults, or just yell "I don't care!!!!" when really, we care very much but are just in an extremely bad mood. With me it's like Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Hyde, sometimes it's like I have two differant personalities. I can go from screaming at my parents to greeting my friends politely on the phone two minutes later. It crazy!!!