Teens have trouble planning ahead

Teens and risky behavior often go together. Now, new research shows that by late adolescence teens usually do have the ability to think ahead and make decisions as well as do most adults. However, the teens may not use those skills before they decide to do something risky. "It's not just that teenagers are unwilling to think about the future consequences," says Laurence Steinberg, professor of psychology at Temple. The new study "shows that they may be fundamentally unable to."

WebMD | June 17, 2011