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Young people who are in care or are transitioning to adulthood have the same developmental needs as those who are not. However, they also face a range of unique issues and circumstances that highlight their need for particular support. Transition into young adulthood is a critical developmental phase in the life of a young person. Some young people, paDevelopmental stage of adolescence rticularly those with complex needs, require additional care and considerations—refer to Working with young people who have complex needs in this kit.
Developmental stage of adolescence
Adolescent development involves the transition from being a child to being an adult. It has social, personal, cultural, neurological and physiological aspects, which begin in the early teens and continue into the late twenties.
Adolescence is a period of identity-forming when young people need to develop:
- a new physical sense of self
- new intellectual abilities and the ability to cope with increased cognitive demands at school
- expanded verbal skills
- a personal sense of identity
- the ability to control impulses, calibrate risks and rewards, regulate emotions, and think strategically
- establish adult vocational goals
- emotional and psychological independence from parents
- positive peer relationships
- sexuality, sexual behaviour, and sexual identity
- their personal value system.
(Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative)
Our growing understanding of brain development, including the effects of trauma and disrupted attachment gives us important knowledge about adolescent development.
Neural development
Neuroscience, the scientific study of the biology of the nervous system, has made great strides over the past decade in revealing the remarkable changes that occur in the brain during the second decade of life.
Contrary to long-held ideas that the brain was mostly grown-up (or 'fully cooked’) by the end of childhood, it is now clear that adolescence is a time of profound brain growth and change. The brain of an early adolescent differs measurably in anatomy, biochemistry, and physiology to that of a late adolescent (Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative.)
The following table provides a summary of neuroscientific information that can inform our practice with young people.
| Facts from neuroscience | What does this mean? | Implications for practice |
|---|---|---|
| The frontal lobes are the last part of the brain to develop fully. |
The frontal lobes govern reasoning, judgement and impulse control, while other areas (including emotion centres) develop earlier. |
Adolescents will act unreasonably at times and explanations about decisions and consequences are unlikely to change their behaviour. Young people will move between 'emotional logic' and 'rational logic'. This means we need to model and encourage thoughtfulness and problem solving. |
|
Dopamine levels shift during adolescence. |
Dopamine links action to reward (pleasure). During adolescence, dopamine is moved around in the brain and is triggered by different things. Motivation lessens and things become boring, so new and risky behaviours are trialled to feel pleasure. Young people do things because they are dangerous. These risks are a normal part of developing a stronger sense of self, learning resilience and developing mastery. |
Risk in a developmental context is different to risk in a child protection context. Risk taking behaviour is an expected part of adolescent development. We can minimise risk by providing an underlying safety net and unconditional support. Our job is to facilitate good judgement wherever possible, rather than remove choices. We need to avoid ultimatums where young people lose face if they have shown poor judgement. |
|
Adolescence is a period of major structural change in the brain. |
Synapses (links between brain cells) are pruned away and some neurons (brain cells) are strengthened to speed them up. As many as 30,000 synapses may be lost per second across the cerebral cortex. Brain plasticity (the capacity for change and growth) means that the neural paths (thought patterns) that are used the most will survive. |
Nurturing and attachment are just as important for young people as for infants. Positive regard, warmth and acceptance can change how a young person's brain works. We need to prioritise establishing reliable relationships when planning services and support with young people. If we cannot provide a stable living arrangement, we need to use other strategies like staying in touch, using youth worker support, coaching key family members and providing consistency in CSOs and support workers. |
| The brains of boys and girls develop at a different rate. |
The fully formed brains of women and men are almost the same, but the rate of development is substantially different. Girls reach the halfway point of brain development at 11 years of age and the brain is fully developed at 21-22. Boys reach the halfway point at 15 and the brain does not finish developing until 30. |
Generally, boys may struggle to verbalise and reflect, they will build relationships through activities rather than discussion. Girls of the same age will usually be more comfortable to discuss issues and articulate needs. We need to be flexible and be aware that:
|
(Adapted from Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative).
For young people who have been in care, the experience of transitioning to adulthood and navigating adolescence is further complicated by exposure to trauma and other early life adversities, including exposure to alcohol and other substances in utero, and neglect (McLean).
Attention
If the core task of adolescence is to develop a strong sense of self, and the primary psychological effect of childhood trauma is to impair the sense of self, what does this mean for young people transitioning to adulthood?
Puberty has been highlighted as an important time of neural plasticity. In contrast to the view that ‘damage is done’ experiences and interventions in adolescence can offset the effects of earlier adversity on the brain (Robinson and Miller).
Our role is to provide context, developmental experiences, safety, resources and support for young people so they can move forward on their journey through adolescence to adulthood—at their own pace and in their own unique way. The process of planning is an opportunity to develop social and emotional wellbeing and positive outcomes for young people.
Vulnerability and resilience during transition
Young people transitioning to adulthood will have had different life experiences and different experiences of care, and may have different levels of resilience.
In some cases, a young person may have experienced a more stable family life due to being in care. Others may have experienced many different types of care arrangements and instability. These factors will impact on the young person’s engagement with, and readiness for, transition to adulthood planning.
Stein describes three types of care leavers, along with their attributes, needs and potential trajectories. Stein refers to the groups as ‘moving on’, ‘survivors’ and ‘victims’, but we have re-named the groups to use less stigmatising language.
The well-supported group has:
- had stability and continuity in their lives, including a secure attachment relationship
- made sense of their family relationships so they could psychologically move on from them
- achieved some success with education, training or employment
- had gradual preparation for the transition
- left care later and their moving on is likely to have been planned
- had practical preparation, with access to necessary documentation and life skills.
The vulnerable group:
- has experienced some instability, movement and disruption in care
- has left their care arrangement younger, often following a breakdown in household relationships
- has had little or no education, training or employment
- is likely to experience further movement and problems after leaving care, including periods of homelessness and low-paid casual work/unemployment
- is likely to experience problems in their personal and professional relationships through patterns of detachment (finding it difficult to establish and maintain relationships) or dependency (exhibiting an over-reliance on relationships that undermines the relationship).
The higher needs group:
- has had significant, damaging pre-care experiences for which care was unable to compensate
- has likely had many care arrangements and related disruption, especially in relation to personal relationships
- are least likely to have an ongoing attachment relationship with a family member or carer
- has had problems in engagement with education, training or employment and are unlikely to continue with it (Stein).
Attention
A study from the USA identified that a large group of young people in care required support transitioning to higher education and work and did not need intensive intervention, such as practical support to establish stable accommodation or assistance to establish relationships or access specialised healthcare services.
About one-fifth needs significant intervention, perhaps for many years, with a range of psychosocial problems (Greeson et al.)
Tip
Stein’s work reminds us that the experiences of young people before care and in care can play a significant role in determining how young people will cope after care, and this can assist us in our approach to engagement and planning. That said, be cautious about labelling young people and making negative predictions about their future.
Our support for young people in their transition to adulthood needs to be flexible, empathetic and considerate.
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