Today I will be discussing why a sixteen year old should not be charged as an adult for murder. Logically speaking many would say a sixteen year old should know that murder is bad, and the consequences that are going to follow. But at the age of sixteen they are just an adolescent and many things are taking place inside the body that need to be acknowledged before deciding the fate of the child, because that's exactly what they are: just a kid. The following information will educate you on adolescent development. This is all critical to truly understanding an adolescent's actions and behaviors.
Adolescence is a period when many different things are happening inside the human body. You have two major systems acting out of sync resulting in differential development, and in affect the adolescent is drawn to making many mistakes when it comes to decision making. One major limbic system that is still in development at this time is the pre frontal cortex.
The pre frontal cortex determines how you think, act, and evaluate things. Its the decision maker, the C.E.O, if you will. The pfc (pre frontal cortex) is in charge of impulse control, decision making, and controls our desire for immediate gratification. If during adolescence the “decision maker” is still in development, its not matured. Having an immature pfc results in immature functions. An immature pfc results in immature impulse control, and their ability to wait for gratification is altered meaning they need the reward NOW. An adolescent will more often react to a situation impulsively, rather than thinking it through and responding in an appropriate manner.
During the period of Adolescence brain growth dramatically slows. Leading up to this point the brain has been overproducing dendrites, which is how we receive information from our five senses. Once we hit puberty the brain starts pruning, or cutting away, dendrites that are unused or seen as unnecessary to make room for more. When the dendrites receive information it passes through the axon, and that carries the info to the synapse which passes it on to another Neurotransmitter. The axon is covered in a Myelin sheath. Myelin is responsible for how they think, and how quickly they receive a message. While dendrites are getting pruned Myelin production is increased to strengthen and stabilize certain neuron connectors. While this white matter is increasing the gray matter is decreasing which is involved with muscle control, and sensory perception such as seeing and hearing, memory, and emotions.
Another major system that is in development is the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis, o HPG Axis. The HPG Axis is what kick starts puberty. The hypothalamus produces Gonadotropin- relaeasing hormone, or GnRH, which starts the cycle. GnRH is sent through the blood stream to the pituitary gland where GnRH stimulates the secretion of two hormones: the Leutinizing Hormone, and Follicle Stimulating Hormone. Lh and FSH are then sent through the body as the sex hormones. In males these hormones together produce sperm growth, and maturation, and in women they stimulate estrogen. LH causes testosterone (males) and estrogen (females) production. FSH is responsible for the maturation of eggs (female) and testicular growth in males. This sexual development is happening at a much faster rate than the pre frontal cortex, and brain development. WE consider this bottom-up development. Leading up to puberty is has been a linear, top-down development. Meaning the brain is developing and telling the body what to do. But when it comes to adolescence the body isn't necessarily waiting for the brain. Genitals have a mind of its own so once the HPG axis is “flipped on” the body has a mind of it's own and it isn't going to wait for the brain to catch up. This makes adolescence a very difficult time where kids are vulnerable, and have to adjust to what their body is doing. They are very sensitive and react emotionally first. With differential development the body isn't simultaneously developing. When an an adolescent is fully developed they have cognitive control back, and also go back to a linear development.
There are also other factors that contribute to the development of an adolescent. The Ecological Systems theory states that human development is influenced by different types of environmental systems, this was formulated by Urie Bronfenbrenner. As a child we are exposed to different environments and different people, and that affects our development. The way we are treated and and this things we are exposed to can affect us cognitively. Cognitive development as a child greatly impacts adolescent development. Factoring in child development is essential to finding out is an adolescent is on the right track as well.
As you can see from the information above that a 16 year old is too immature to be tried as an adult. Any decision made on the fate of a sixteen year old has to be made with the knowledge of the development of the pre frontal cortex. With the pre frontal cortex still in development the adolescent is still in the process of maturing. At this point any action is made without decent thought being given to the decision. Their brain is immature in thinking they are invincible when they're not. At the same time the brain is developing their body is developing with no control to them causing strange emotions and behaviors. Adolescents are prone to risk taking due to an immature brain, and uncontrolled body, therefore they should not be charged as an adult for murder.