Adolescent Development

This week something wonderful happened, the US Supreme Court banned executing those who committed murder as juveniles. I am becoming more and more of an anti-death penality advocate lately especially in instances where it just makes no sense (ie, executing retarded folks) or not challenging the reality that over 80% of death row inmates are people of color. Or understanding that once DNA evidence has been used, in some states 50% of death row inmates have been released after their DNA proved conclusively they were not involved in the crime they were sent to prison for in the first place. Did you know that when a person is excuted, all their trail records and trial evidence is destroyed? It makes me wonder how many people our State's have executed, not because they were guilty but because of their skin color. Our criminal system needs an overhaul- and all death penalty cases need to be put on hold until that happens.

Anyways, that's not the point on this blog entry.

At the end of January, a report was released explaining teenagers ability to make decisions is hampered by their physiological development. In part, the study said:

"Just as kids go through a growth spurt where they shoot up in height and fill out into more adult-like proportions, the brain has its own timetable, which varies among teens. Changes in the brain's frontal lobes, largely responsible for controlling impulses and measuring risk and reward, are among the most dramatic, according to brain scans performed on teens at the National Institutes of Health.

"It appears that reasoning and problem-solving skills are among the last abilities to mature in the brain," Rickert said.

The research may have implications for a wide range of social and health-related concerns, including why teens can't seem to get enough sleep and how parents can help them make decisions that protect their safety."

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If a teenager's inability to determine and make responsible decisions are a part of his or her physical/mental maturing, then those who are in positions of power need to take this into consideration when laws are developed. Whether we are talking about sex education or interpreting laws to better handle our societal well-being, we need to keep into consideration what makes us tick. Doing so might help us not only live in a more compassionate society but also develop methods to help prevent those from making "ill-advised or improperly reasoned decisions" in the first place.

It's sort of like the admonition in our faith tradition that encourages us not to cause others to sin. Whether its Jesus' admonition that "its better that we get drowned in the depths of the sea" for doing it or the Lord's prayer when we ask God that we'll not be led into temptation, these instances remind us that life isn't just about staying free from sin but even understanding the human nature to the point where we try and prevent others from being tempted in the first place. Okay, so maybe this is a stretch, but you see what I mean, right?