Why Is Adolescent Development Important to Law Enforcement?

Law enforcement’s interaction with youth is an integral part of carrying out policing duties. Approximately 4 to 5 million youth ages 16-19 have face-to-face interactions with police annually1 and in 2012, there were over a million arrests of persons under the age of 18 in the United States.2 A 2009 study comparing police behavior with juvenile and adult suspects found that juveniles are significantly more likely to be arrested than adults and officers exercised greater levels of authority when juvenile suspects were considered to be disrespectful.3

Interaction with adolescents presents a unique set of challenges to law enforcement. Teenagers sometimes feel threatened by law enforcement, which can negatively impact communication between the two. To ensure that law enforcement/youth interactions result in positive outcomes, law enforcement officers need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively interact with youth in any situation.

How This Guide Can Help

This brief provides an overview of adolescent brain development and its effects on law enforcement interactions with youth. Reviewing youth developmental stages and their effects on youth behavior may increase understanding of how and why teenagers think and act the way they do. This brief includes strategies for law enforcement to apply this knowledge during youth interactions, outlining important considerations for integrating this information into everyday practices, procedures, and programs.