Adolescent Development and Implications for Policy Change

1
Adolescent Development and Implications for
Policy Change

• Wendy Paget Henderson, Esq.
• Wisconsin Council on Children and Families
• November 18, 2008

2
Adolescent Development

• Research in Brain Development shows that
  Adolescents
• Are more impulsive than adults
• Think through problems differently (more weight
  on short term gains)
• Take more risks
• Are less likely to see the riskiness of their
  actions
• Prefrontal Cortex (brains CEO) not fully
  developed until mid 20s.

3
Case Study Using Adolescent Development to Move
Policy Change

• Identify policy change return 17-year-olds to
  the original jurisdiction of the juvenile court

4
Challenge

• Changing Minds

5
Solution

• This is new information.

6
Framing the Issue

7
Next Steps

• Presentations Strategic
• Groups who we wanted to endorse our policy
  always present brain development first
• Larger groups of interested parties
• Annual Criminal Defense Conference and State
  Prosecutors Conference
• Presentations to the Masses
• Create a large group of people who really
  understand that kids are different

8
Engaging Parents

• Message of kids making mistakes more powerful
  from parents
• Help parents understand their childrens
  developmental stages
• Given them something to get involved in

9
Let the Data Speak for itself.
WCCF analysis, 2007 FBI UCR Data
10
Diversify the Message after General Agreement

• In August, we released
• a recidivism study of
• 1,000 17-year-old
• offenders.

11
This provided new and sought after information

• What happens to the 17-year-olds?

12
Keys to Success

• This is common sense.
• How many of you are parents of, work with, or
  know teenagers? Science confirms what we already
  know
• Know the science, know the kids
• The bologna sandwich dilemma
• Patience

13
For more information

Wendy Henderson, Esq. Policy Analyst Wisconsin
Council on Children and Families [phone] x
308 whenderson_at_wccf.org
555 West Washington Ave., Suite 200 Madison, WI
53703 www.wccf.org