Cause and Effect

Do you remember in third or fourth grade when you learned about cause and effect? "If" this happens, "then" this happens. In third or fourth grade when the brain comprehends everything in concrete terms cause and effect seems pretty simple. "If" this, "then" this--black and white, clear, concise and easy to understand.

However, as we get older and start thinking more abstractly, cause and effect may not seem so simple.

Girls often become confused or distracted as they are processing information as they enter the teen years. What was a simple cause/effect relationship when they were ten years old, suddenly becomes an issue they wrestle with as they make the same decision at fourteen.

Can they really not see the difference between right and wrong? Do they miss the connection that with these actions come these consequences?

Why does this happen? What is going on in their brains? What is going on in their hearts?

There have been numerous studies through the years tracking and evaluating the development of the adolescent brain...or often what appears to be a lack of development. Seriously, how does a teenage girl make great grades, serve in leadership in her school and church, and then text while driving and rear-end another car? How can so many teen girls be so accomplished and smart and responsible...and then reckless at the same time?

Most research confirms that the brain continues to change and grow and that it is only about 80 percent developed in the teen years. The last section to connect is the frontal lobe, responsible for cognitive processes such as reasoning, planning, and judgment. (Check out this article from Harvard Magazine to read more.)

In adults different parts of the brain work together to evaluate choices, make decisions, and act appropriately in each situation. The teenage brain doesn't work like this...as if we didn't know! It appears that with teenagers the process of maturing the brain starts in the back and moves forward. The frontal cortex, the vital center of control, is the last area for everything to be connected and trimmed and fine tuned. Scientists believe these connections are finally completed around the ages of 25 and 30. Explains a lot, doesn't it.

Although teen girls may have very sharp and intelligent brains, they may appear to be clueless at times. They are not sure what to do with the brains they have.

The biggest area where I've seen "cause and effect" challenges in girls is when it relates to the heart. We usually blame hormones for the emotional roller coaster many girls ride. However, it really may be a lapse in the brain. That prefrontal cortex fails to curb impulsive thoughts and behaviors. The brain doesn't register the risks or the consequences. Both the heart and mind want instant gratification and miss the logical cause and effect relationship. As a result a poor decision is made or they rebel thinking a decision seems unfair.

Proverbs 4:23 says, "Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life." Sometimes with a girl, the heart may be telling her one thing and so she acts on those feelings and emotions. And even in her brain it may seem like the right decision. Later after difficulties or undesirable consequences she recognizes the truth of the situation. Later she realizes the cause and effect.

As I've learned more about the adolescent brain, it has reminded me that I need to speak up with the girls I minister to and love. When their brain is failing to recognize the right and wrong of a situation, I need to voice the truth and help them see the connection of cause and effect. Their heart may not connect with my mind, but hopefully, they do know that I love and care about them. As we continue to build trust with one another and spend time together, they will learn more about making thoughtful and mature decisions.