Resource Library

Breaking Up: Love and Loss in Adolescence

Adolescence is a time of intense social learning, and romantic relationships, and even breakups, can be powerful learning experiences during these years. But how can adults support this learning while young people are hurting? In a recent panel discussion, experts Dr. Nicole Green (UCLA), Dr. Ahna Suleiman (Sacramento State University), and Youth National Scientific Council members Makayla Dawkins…

Supporting Youth in the Context of Family

Dr. Velma McBride Murry, a professor at Vanderbilt University, talks with Dr. Andrew Fuligni about her extensive research on African-American parents and youth, and how she has used this information to develop and implement the Pathways for African American Success Program (PAAS) to enhance families’ skills to help their pre-teens make good decisions as they prepare to enter high school.

The Intersection of Adolescent Development and Anti-Black Racism

The Intersection of Adolescent Development and Anti-Black Racism, the first Council Report from the National Scientific Council on Adolescence (NSCA), summarizes research on how racism and related inequities impact key developmental milestones of adolescence and offers recommendations to support Black youth within key social contexts of the middle and high school years.

Supporting Positive Development for Youth Post-Pandemic

Following are six key developmental needs of the adolescent years, with suggestions to support theseneeds as we rethink the ways we work with young people to better support positive development:

A Conversation on Youth Mental Health

Adolescent mental health was in the headlines long before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The effects of the virus and related restrictions have added new twists to the discussion, highlighting rising rates of anxiety and depression while also creating an opportunity to prioritize youth well-being as we move forward. The UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent partnered with Young Invincibles (YI) to…

Supporting Positive Development for LGBTQ Youth

Adolescence is a time of intense learning and adaptation when we forge our sense of who we are and who we want to be. Throughout this remarkable period of development, we begin to explore the world and create new relationships with our peers and communities.

How We Can Support Healthy Romantic and Sexual Development for Youth

Romantic relationships during our adolescent years can be important aspects of healthy development and social learning. Given that most of this learning occurs in the context of peers, what kind of impact are social distancing and other COVID-related restrictions having on young peoples’ romantic and sexual relationships? And what can adults do to support healthy sexual and romantic development,…

How Developmental Science Can Help Address Anti-Black Racism During Adolescence

Adolescence—beginning at the onset of puberty (around 10 years old) and ending in our mid-20s—is a key window of opportunity to shape life-long positive trajectories. But for many Black adolescents, racial bias within institutions, wealth and resource inequality, and daily experiences of racism and discrimination create barriers to realizing this opportunity. We believe that a science-based…

How Developmental Science Can Help Us Address Inequities During Adolescence

Adolescence—beginning at the onset of puberty, around 10 years old, and ending in our mid-20s—is a key window of opportunity for shaping positive trajectories that can last a lifetime. During adolescence, our developing brains are learning and adapting in ways that naturally take advantage of supportive relationships, environments, and experiences for growth and development. Unfortunately, the…

Back to School in the COVID Pandemic