Poor Impulse Control Rooted in Teen Brain Development

 Posted on January 27, 2017 in Juvenile Law

Teens and juveniles are known to act without thinking about the consequences. This is known as poor impulse control, and scientists believe that there is a particular area of the brain that is responsible for such behavior.

What Is Poor Impulse Control?

Poor impulse control is often viewed as immaturity or poor decision-making. This characteristic typically comes up in teenagers. As any parent can attest, younger children are often more cautious than teens.

Neuroscientists say that teens’ poor impulse control comes out the most when they are in social situations. This can lead to teens committing crimes or being accused of crimes. For example, a teen may be more likely to take drugs, get into a fight, or drive dangerously when around other teenagers.

What Causes Poor Impulse Control in the Brain?

Neuroscientists believe that they have pinpointed where in the brain impulse control originates and it is from the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. According to scientists, teens who are able to manage their impulses have higher activity in this brain region. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex part is considered to be the “brake pedal” of the brain’s decision-making function.

The Good News: Teens Grow Out of This Phase

As the brain develops, it becomes better at controlling impulse. This means teens are more likely stop making reckless or dangerous decisions.

The state of Illinois recognizes that many juveniles who get in trouble has poor impulse control but will likely get better at reining in dangerous behavior. This is why there are specialized laws court and detention centers for juveniles in Illinois.

The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice

Part of the mission of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice is to reintegrate the youths who come into the system back into the communities from where they came. In order to accomplish this goal of reintegration, the Department of Juvenile Justice offers additional educational and psychological programs to help rehabilitate juveniles.

Typically a youth committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice spend seven and a half months and Facilities. The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice also oversees aftercare programs which are meant to keep youth from coming back into the system and to help them readjust to life after leaving the juvenile facility.

Contact a Wheaton Illinois Criminal Defense Attorney

If your child is facing juvenile charges you are advised to contact the juvenile criminal lawyer who understands the juvenile justice system and understands the research in this field.

A skilled DuPage County juvenile law attorney will be able to evaluate your case and look for ways a child may be rehabilitated. Call our firm at 630-871-1700 for an Initial Attorney Meeting.

Sources:

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/11/why-teenagers-are-so-impulsive

https://www.illinois.gov/idjj/Pages/AboutUs.aspx

https://www.illinois.gov/idjj/Documents/IDJJ%20Annual%20Report%2001-04-16%20FINAL.pdf