Final answer:
Teens may engage in risky behaviors due to the ongoing development of their brain's frontal lobes, which affects their impulse control, and an active reward system that reinforces risk-taking. Values that differ from adults and evolutionary factors also play a role.
Step-by-step explanation:
Teens' occasional impulsiveness and risky behaviors may be due to the fact that their frontal lobes are still developing. This area of the brain is responsible for judgment, impulse control, and planning, and it continues to mature into early adulthood. While adolescents may develop the ability to think abstractly and evaluate risks and rewards similar to adults, their brain's reward system is more active during risk-taking behaviors.
Furthermore, teens may have different values and are still establishing their individual identities, often seeking independence from their parents. The propensity for risk-taking in adolescence is also thought to be an evolutionary trait, providing the motivation and confidence necessary for leaving their family and starting a new one, despite the challenges that come with such decisions.