Blume, L. B., & Zembar, M. J. (2007). Middle childhood to middle adolescence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson [Vital Source e-reader].
Chapter 8, “Physical Development in Middle Adolescence”In this chapter, the author discusses the physical transformations that typically occur during middle adolescence, including puberty, brain development, and motor development. Focus on how physical development progresses from early to late middle adolescence, as well as how brain development influences adolescents’ reasoning abilities.
Chapter 9, “Cognitive Development in Middle Adolescence”In this chapter, the author explains how the ability to think and process information develops during middle adolescence. Focus on how cognitive development progresses from early to late middle adolescence, how reasoning and decision-making abilities develop, and how intelligence is conceptualized and assessed during this time period.

Steinberg, L. (2007). Risk taking in adolescence: New perspectives from brain and behavioral science. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(2), 55–5 9.
Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database: http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=24719565&site=ehost-live&scope=site
In this article, the author discusses possible reasons why adolescents are more likely to engage in risky behavior than are older adults. Focus on the implications of cognitive neuroscience for the prevention of risk-taking in adolescents.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Understanding the Adolescent Brain, Part 1 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note:  The approximate length of this media piece is 9 minutes.

In this video, Dr. Judy Willis and Dr. Mary-Helen Immordino-Yang discuss characteristics of the adolescent brain. Focus on the behavioral implications of adolescent brain development.

This week, you learned about how the adolescent brain develops, as well as adolescents’ capacity for reasoning and decision making. In this Discussion, you will consider the implications of these findings for the juvenile justice system. Reflect on the following:

• Before reviewing this week’s Learning Resources, what was your opinion on juveniles being tried as adults for their crimes? Has your opinion changed this week? Why or why not?
• Based on your knowledge of adolescent brain development, do you think it is appropriate to hold adolescents to the same standards of accountability as adults? Is it unfair to expect juveniles to possess the reasoning abilities of adults? Or do you think that juveniles who commit crimes must be held responsible for their actions, just as adults are?
• Does your opinion vary depending on the nature of the crime? Explain.

With these thoughts in mind, follow the instructions below to post your response to this Discussion topic.

By Day 3

Post an explanation of your opinion on whether or not adolescent offenders should be tried as adults for their crimes, including if and how your opinion has changed based on this week’s Learning Resources. Be sure to use the Learning Resources to support your response.