Resource Library
STUDY: Why Interventions to Influence Adolescent Behavior Often Fail but Could Succeed
November 15, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant StudiesTraditional programs to encourage healthy behavior are not always effective and can even be counter-productive during adolescence. The authors review evidence that effective preventive interventions for middle adolescents (ages 13 to 17) often harness adolescents heightened sensitivity to respect and status.
STUDY: Importance of Investing in Adolescence from a Developmental Science Perspective
September 30, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant StudiesIn this Research Perspective for Nature, our Founding Director Dr. Ron Dahl, along with advisory board members Nick Allen and Linda Wilbrecht and our first director, Ahna Suleiman, apply developmental science to make the case for global investment in the health and well-being of adolescents. The authors explain how understanding developmental science, such as the way puberty changes some aspects…
Statement from the National Academies: Seizing the Promise of Adolescence
September 10, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant StudiesThis brief from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine discusses the role of policymaking to support positive adolescent development. Read the full report, The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth, to see detailed recommendations for youth-supporting policies in education, health, child welfare, and justice.
Thinking “Developmentally”
August 29, 2019 | Filed in: BriefIt’s important to keep a developmental perspective when talking about adolescence. Here’s a brief summary of what it means to think developmentally. At the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent, we believe it is important to think developmentally about adolescence. Thinking developmentally means recognizing that adolescence is a time of unique capacities, motivations, and contexts,…
6 Fast Facts About Adolescent Development
August 29, 2019 | Filed in: Fact SheetWe are currently experiencing an unprecedented surge in the number of adolescents around the world. More than a billion adolescents are coming of age globally, with more than 42 million adolescents in the United States alone. These young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow—as trendsetters, early adopters of technology, and voices of modern social movements, they are already shaping our…
The Developing Adolescent Brain
August 29, 2019 | Filed in: Fact SheetIt’s easy to see that adolescence—from around age 10 to about 25—is a time of big changes, starting with the onset of puberty in late elementary school. But in addition to the obvious increases in height, weight, and body hair, there is also a massive restructuring of our brains. During adolescence, our brains are becoming faster and more streamlined, eliminating connections that we don’t…
Autonomy and Connection
August 29, 2019 | Filed in: GuideClose relationships with trusted adults during adolescence provide the stability we need to be autonomous and connected to others. Increasing agency over our own lives is an important part of growing up. During adolescence, we learn to regulate our emotions, form and express our own opinions, and manage our own health, finances, and careers. But this increasing autonomy doesn’t mean going it…
What the Science Tells Us About Parenting an Adolescent
August 23, 2019 | Filed in: Fact SheetUnderstanding how parental influence shifts in adolescence can help parents, youth-serving professionals, and policymakers support families in ways that bolster the well-being of young people as they transition from childhood to adulthood. Note: This overview focuses on “parents” because most research on adolescent-family relationships has studied mothers and fathers. However, the findings are…