and Medicine Engineering National Academies of Sciences, Health and Medicine Division, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, and Families Youth Board on Children, Committee on the Neurobiological and Socio-behavioral Science of Adolescent Development and Its Applications, Emily P. Backes (EDT), Richard J. Bonnie (EDT) Promise of Adolescence

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Adolescence"beginning with the onset of puberty and ending in the mid-20s"is a critical period of development during which key areas of the brain mature and develop. These changes in brain structure, function, and connectivity mark adolescence as a period of opportunity to discover new vistas, to form relationships with peers and adults, and to explore ones developing identity. It is also a period of resilience that can ameliorate childhood setbacks and set the stage for a thriving trajectory over the life course.Because adolescents comprise nearly one-fourth of the entire U.S. population, the nation needs policies and practices that will better leverage these developmental opportunities to harness the promise of adolescence"rather than focusing myopically on containing its risks. This report examines the neurobiological and socio-behavioral science of adolescent development and outlines how this knowledge can be applied, both to promote adolescent well-being, resilience, and development, and to rectify structural barriers and inequalities in opportunity, enabling all adolescents to flourish.