Increase resilience for transition #5: The teen brain & transition
What is resilience?
Although resilience is a term which is used quite widely, many people find it difficult to clearly define what it means. For the purposes of this blog series on increasing resilience for transition, I’ll use this definition of resilience from Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary:
“an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change”
Understanding the teen brain to increase resilience
In the article ‘Why Teens Should Understand Their Own Brains,’ Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, makes the following comments:
“The brain is particularly influenced by the environment during the teenage years and might be particularly amenable to learning certain skills. It's a sensitive period for social information, meaning that the brain is set up during adolescence to understand other people and to find out about other people's minds, their emotions. Brains at this time are good at understanding social hierarchies…Friends take on an extra step in terms of their importance and the role they play in adolescents' lives… the fear of being excluded by the peer group is a big driver of adolescent typical behaviour.
How does understanding the teen brain increase resilience in transition?
In the Third Culture Kid (TCK) research, it’s generally accepted that moving countries in as a teenager is one of the most difficult times to relocate. Teenagers are starting to develop their own identity away from their parents, which tends to happen in their peer group. Changing this peer group dramatically, which tends to be the case with relocation, has a huge impact on teenagers. Professor Blakemore points to the importance of friends and their impact teens’ behaviour.
It’s important for parents and educators to recognise the vital role of friendships and the wider peer group when teens move country. Discussing realistic ways to keep in touch with existing friends, while supporting and encouraging opportunities to build a new peer group help teens with the transition process. These strategies also help support teens during this critical period of brain development which focuses on social information and interaction.
How I can help
Much of my work with families and international schools focuses on developing and maintaining resilience throughout relocation. I offer a range of approaches to best suit individual needs. My options for support for a resilient relocation include my hello/goodbye program, coaching and A New Adventure: Coaching Cards for an International Move.