Great Myths of Adolescence

Great Myths of Adolescence contains the evidence-based science that debunks the myths and commonly held misconceptions concerning adolescence. The book explores myths related to sex, drugs and self-control, as well as many others. The authors define each myth, identify each myth’s prevalence and present the latest and most significant research debunking the myth. The text is grounded in the authors’ own research on the prevalence of belief in each myth, from the perspective of college students. Additionally, various pop culture icons that have helped propagate the myths are discussed.

Written by noted experts, the book explores a wealth of topics including: the teen brain is fully developed by 18; significant mood disruptions in adolescence are inevitable; the millennial generation is lazy; and much more. This important resource:

• Shatters commonly held and topical myths relating to gender, education, technology, sex, crime and more
• Based in empirical and up-to-date research including the authors' own
• Links each myth to icons of pop culture who/which have helped propagate them
• Discusses why myths are harmful and best practices related to the various topics
• A volume in the popular Great Myths of Psychology series

Great Myths of Adolescence offers an important guide that debunks misconceptions about adolescence behaviour. This book also pairs well with another book by two of the authors, Great Myths of Child Development.

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Table of Contents

Foreword x

Preface xvii

Introduction 1

1 Development of the Body, Brain, and Mind 7

• 1 Adolescence ends at 18 years old 8
• 2 Girls are universally experiencing puberty sooner in recent years 16
• 3 The teen brain is fully developed by age 18 24
• 4 Anorexia treatment usually requires teens to be separated from their parents 33
• 5 Technology has made teens better at multitasking 38
• Mini myths for development of the body, brain, and mind 46
• 6 Pubertal “early bloomers” fare better than “late bloomers” 46
• 7 Teens can study better while listening to music 48
• 8 The “Freshman 15”: College students gain 15 pounds their freshman year 50
• 9 Horses are helpful in the treatment of eating disorders, autism spectrum, and more 51
• 10 The onset of puberty is very upsetting to most teens 52
• 11 Male teens are much less likely than females to be preoccupied with their physical appearance 54
• 12 Most teens hardly ever engage in leisure reading these days 55
• 13 Greek life has a negative effect on college students academically 56
• 14 Paying for prep courses is the best way to make large gains on the SAT 57

2 Development of the Self 59

• 15 Significant mood disruptions in adolescence are inevitable 60
• 16 Teens should have a job in high school to build character 64
• 17 Risky behavior in adolescence is inevitable 68
• 18 Taking care of an infant simulator doll increases abstinence from sexual activity 72
• 19 College placement tests are useless at predicting academic success in college 77
• Mini myths for development of the self 82
• 20 College students’ lives are full of random hook‐ups 82
• 21 Teaching teens about contraception makes them more likely to engage in sexual activity 84
• 22 Abstinence‐ only sex education programs are effective at keeping teens abstinent 85
• 23 The HPV vaccine increases teen sex 86
• 24 The millennial generation is lazy 87
• 25 High school football players are more likely to become seriously injured than cheerleaders 88
• 26 Offenders hide sexual interest when using the internet to initiate sex offenses against teens 90
• 27 Conversion therapy effectively turns homosexual teens into straight teens 91
• 28 Teens underestimate the consequences of risky behavior and adults do not 94

3 The Social Environment 96

• 29 More quality time with teens can make up for less quantity of time 96
• 30 Successful transition from adolescence to adulthood is achieved through detachment from parents 98
• 31 Popular teens are usually mean 107
• 32 Peer pressure only causes teens to make bad decisions 112
• 33 Boys only use sticks and stones to hurt while girls use words instead 117
• Mini myths for the social environment 121
• 34 Most teens have a strained relationship with their parents 121
• 35 Asking teens if they have thought about suicide “plants a seed” and makes them more likely to actually attempt suicide 123
• 36 Teens only listen to their peers 125
• 37 When girls are sexually assaulted it is usually by a stranger 125
• 38 Most college students graduate in 4 years 126
• 39 College is the happiest time of one’s life 127

4 Problems in Modern Society 130

• 40 Teens these days are worse behaved than those of previous generations 130
• 41 School violence is on the rise 139
• 42 Boot camps get teens “on the right path” 149
• 43 Most teens party with drugs or alcohol on weekends 154
• 44 DARE programs prevent teen drug use 158
• 45 Listening to heavy metal or rap music makes teens more likely to defy authority 165
• Mini myths for problems in modern society 173
• 46 Teens have the highest suicide rate 173
• 47 Goggles mimicking drunkenness help prevent impaired driving 174
• 48 Teens can be “scared straight” 176
• 49 Sexting is only a teen problem 177
• 50 Traditional High School Driver education courses have a strong record of making teens safe drivers 178

Index 180