Root Cause
An exasperating gap exists between the resources practitioners have for the youth in their care and the behaviors those youth express. Staff can feel like they are fighting an uphill battle. Youth often feel like they are working against their own body. This is not an inherent feature of treatment. In fact, it reveals exciting yet untapped training and treatment potential. This edition of Know Your sheet highlights fascinating research revealing common behaviors of youth in treatment are adaptive responses to unpredictable environments.
The Article: The Evolutionary Basis of Risky Adolescent Behavior: Implications for Science, Policy, and Practice
Authors: Bruce J. Ellis, Marco Del Giudice, Thomas J. Dishion, Aurelio Jose´ Figueredo, Peter Gray, Vladas Griskevicius, Patricia H. Hawley, W. Jake Jacobs, Jene´e James, Anthony A. Volk, David Sloan Wilson
Publishing Journal: Developmental Psychology
Research Agency/University: University of Arizona, University of Turin, Arizona State University, Boston College, University of Minnesota, University of Kansas, Brock University, Binghamton University
Funding Source: John and Doris Norton Endowment for Fathers, Parenting, and Families at the University of Arizona
In a Nutshell:
Youth who experience harsh or unpredictable environments express behaviors that are calibrated to that environment. Often, delinquent behaviors are not maladaptive. They are expressly adaptive, enabling the youth to better survive those environmental conditions. Youth who have experienced adverse environments demonstrate fast life-history strategies i.e., earlier onset of puberty, earlier sexual debut, a greater number of sexual partners, risk-taking behaviors, seeking immediate gratification, etc. These behaviors are contextually adaptive in environments where long-term survival is questionable.
A quote to keep:
“Because these are powerful evolved responses that promoted lineage survival during our natural selective history, Band-Aid interventions (e.g., sex education, birth control, promoting self-esteem, training coping skills, teaching problem-solving strategies) are unlikely to affect change at a foundational level.”
Why this Article Matters to you:
Emotions and behaviors are survival adaptations
Behavioral interventions that ignore or disregard the survival purpose of these adaptations are likely to remain ineffective
Opportunities for Immediate Application:
Stop using the term maladaptive when talking about youth’ emotions and behaviors
Train staff in the survival purpose of youth’ behaviors to effectively address the cause
Let youth know that their behaviors are survival adaptations and that they likely kept them alive during events that they may have otherwise not survived