Final answer:
Teenagers require supervision due to impulsiveness and the brain's heightened reward response to risk. During adolescence, identity exploration and peer influence may also lead to increased risk-taking behaviors despite an understanding of potential dangers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Adolescents require supervision and protection from high-risk experiences until their decision-making improves because teenagers are impulsive. Despite adolescents developing the ability to think about risks and rewards in ways similar to adults, they often value different outcomes and experiences. Additionally, developmental research including fMRI studies by Galvan et al. (2007) indicates that the adolescent brain experiences heightened activity in the reward center of the brain during risk-taking. This can lead to impulsive behavior and risk-taking despite an understanding of potential dangers.
In the psychosocial development phase of adolescence, defined by Erikson as identity versus role confusion, teens explore different aspects of their identity, sometimes adopting values opposed to their parents in favor of alignment with their peer group. Even as adolescents become more autonomous, and their moral and ethical values take shape, peer influence significantly increases. This shift in social reliance can sometimes encourage greater risk-taking behaviors.
Educating teens, parents, and educators on these developmental realities can assist in navigating this complex stage responsibly and mitigating high-risk behaviors.