Summary

Given that adolescence is the period of most brain growth in developing thinking and reasoning or metacognitive skills and executive functioning, the risky behaviours seen can jeopardise the ability of the adolescent to learn.

Therefore, rather than simply being the period of transition for adolescence to adulthood, the period of time between 16 to 19 years of age represents a period of rapid developments in thinking, reasoning and executive functioning. The changes in the pre-frontal cortex continue into adulthood supporting a change from an emotionally charged, and potentially unthinking, risk-taking or egocentric adolescent into one able to critically consider issues for themselves and apply these in planning for themselves, their family and the wider society.