The developing adolescent brain: Implications for youth justice and children in criminal proceedings

Adolescence is a unique developmental stage, defined by neural reorganisation and a heightened sensitivity to the social environment. Brain maturation is a prolonged process extending well into the twenties, involving microstructural refinements such as axonal myelination and synaptic pruning, which are partly dependent on environmental input. This period of heightened neuroplasticity coincides with a shift toward peer affiliation and increased susceptibility to risk-taking, particularly in social settings. Consequently, adolescent decision-making should be viewed through a social lens, in which the drive to avoid social exclusion and to secure peer acceptance acts as a powerful motivator of behaviour. This framework underscores the importance of social connections and suggests that, conversely, disruptions to these relationships, and in particular social isolation, can be harmful to adolescent development. Studies have demonstrated that even brief periods of social isolation in adolescence can increase reward seeking and reward learning, heighten threat sensitivity and reduce risk perception. The research reviewed in this paper has implications for how young people are treated in the youth justice system. I argue that justice systems should evolve from punitive approaches toward rehabilitative frameworks and age-appropriate legal thresholds grounded in evidence-based insights into the developing adolescent brain and mind.