Thursday, April 22, 2010

Motivated Adolescent Brains Gathering on this Earth Day 2010

Thank goodness that the youth of today still have their "why can't it be so?" perspective.  If they didn't, the world may be lost to the skeptics, nay-sayers, and those who have given up hope.

As the adolescent brain develops and the frontal lobes (the area directly behind your forehead) expand into higher level thinking, adolescents adopt an idealistic perspective.   For many teens, this time of development allows them to think about larger concepts such as "justice", "peace", "fairness", "advocacy", "social justice", and "global community" for the first time.  The child's brain remains very concrete in thought, where the adolescent brain tries to define the gray areas.

They question why there are hungry people in the world when they see food being thrown away every day.
They wonder why aren't all communities recycling when it is so easy.
They protest corporations that harm the environment.
They gather in small groups to start a larger movement.
They create websites, YouTube videos and blogs to educate the masses on the atrocities of the world.
They unite to remember friends killed by the many different forms of violence that are in our communities.
They collect food for the hungry in their neighborhoods.
They sale items as fundraisers to subsidize their schools that are getting less and less financial support.
They sign petitions to tell legislative leaders what is wrong with the law and how it needs to be changed.

Even though adolescents are characterized as being very egocentric (which is true in some areas), they, like the rest of us, have the natural desire to "belong."  We are social animals, even if it just socializing with friends on Facebook.  We like to be part of groups, whether they are in-person or electronic communities.
The group gives us the idea that we are accepted, included, and welcomed by people who like us.  It affirms for us that our existence matters.

This "belonginess" is related to one of Eric Berne's  psychological hungers that is in every human: recognition.  [The other two hungers are stimulation & structure.]  Children will seek attention to know that "If I have an impact, I know that I exist."  Hopefully they are getting positive attention, but if not, they will seek negative attention. 


The motivating factors of recognition and belonginess are the foundations for youth groups around the world.  [They are also the motivating factors for adult groups as well.]  These groups choose a goal and the members work together to make a change.  They are not limited by social conventions that tell them it cannot be so, but allow their higher levels thoughts of "what if" to save the world.

Below are links to some of these incredible youth groups working on this Earth Day:
  1. Green My Parents
  2. Green Youth Movement
  3. International Youth Climate Movement
  4. It's Getting Hot In Here
  5. KidEarth  
Please recycle, reuse, reduce, renovate, reform and rejuvenate.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Could Sex Education and Information really be Bad for the Adolescent Brain?

The slogans "Knowledge is Power" or "Information is Power" are becoming more popular with computer companies, cell phone sellers, colleges, national movements and in local classrooms.  The premise is that the more education/information you have, the better informed you will be to make the right choices for yourself. You will be a more powerful person in whatever endeavors you choose to pursue.

What boggles my brain is when people what to curtail that power by not supplying the knowledge and education to the people who need it the most.  Adolescents are not adults, thus have less experiences and "life lessons" to use as references.  Their decision making abilities, the balancing of rewards & consequences, and judgments around risks, are based on what they know is true or what they believe. All of these cognitive processes are being fine tuned in the adolescent brain at the same time they are given more responsibilities and independence in life.

In many areas of a teen's life, society agrees that the more information a youth has the better.  For example, alcohol and drug abuse.  DARE programs, special education days, and awareness months are started on the idea that if teens know the dangers of alcohol and drugs they will choose not to start using/abusing them.

Another example is driving.  Driver's education was very basic when I went through the course.  I learned how to turn the car on, push the gas peddle, break in time, use the blinkers, when to merge onto a highway, and parallel park.  Besides the basics, adolescents are now learning additional warnings of driving on today's roads.  They hear more about drinking and driving.  They are told not to text on cell phones, to use "speaker phone" when driving so both hands can be on the wheel, and to keep the music down so it is not a distraction. 

So why is there such a debate over sex education?  Many people acknowledge that there is a rush of hormones during puberty that make adolescents "sexual beings."  They begin to notice the other gender, or maybe the same gender, as sexual interests.  They begin to date with bodies full of sexual feelings and brains that are not fully developed to manage it all.  If people really believe that "knowledge is power" then the more knowledge given to the adolescent brain about all  aspects of sexuality will make them more powerful in their ability to make choices.

Unfortunately the debate over sex ed rages on and it is presently in my "backyard."  A Wisconsin County District Attorney is threatening to charge any health education teacher, who provides sex ed classes already, if they follow the new state law that calls for sex ed classes to adopt a comprehensive curriculum that offers information on abstinence and safe sex practices (i.e. how to put on a condom, using birth control, etc.).  The charge would be "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" - a misdemeanor punishable by 9 months behind bars and a  $10,000 fine.  The District Attorney argues that youth need "all the information they can get about sex to make the best choices", but learning how to use a condom is promoting sex. WHAT?

My rebuttal: how can you say a certain "type" of information helps with the decision making process while a different "type" does not?  A "good choice" or "right decision", especially in developing brains, is based on the PROCESS of making that decision, which includes having ALL the information. 

What do you think? Is Ben Roethlisberger getting away with Rape?

Maybe to no one's surprise there is another sports star accused of sexual assault of a woman.  The case involves a 20 year old woman and Ben Roethlisberger, 28 years old, who is an award-winning quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers football team.  [This is not his first sexual assault charge.] Like so many previous cases, the victim is stating that she was raped and the male "star" is denying that it was rape.


Here is one mother's summary of an ESPN report that laid out facts:

Apparently she [the victim] went to the bathroom and he [Roethlisberger] followed her in and locked the door.  She told him "no" but he said something like "I take that as a yes."  Her friends, who were with her, tried to get to the door to help, but his entourage blocked the door and wouldn't let them get near the door.  Once she got out of the bathroom, she and her friends went directly to the police station.  I guess the District Attorney wouldn't press charges because it would have been a "he said, she said" and the victim didn't want to go through that.  Apparently the football commissioner and the Steelers are working together on what penalties should be assessed - a fine, possible suspension - who knows but the Steelers owners are not supporting him.  


So what do you think?  Is this a case of "he said, she said"?  Should this be national news? We have judged that it is.
There is a great blog article by the Boston Area Rape Crisis Article summarizing the national media coverage of the event.  Each identified reporter includes some sort of "victim blaming" in his story.  Are we still in the dark ages where we accuse the woman for the crime committed against her?

National STD Awareness Month

The epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases and infections is alive and well.  So much so that the Centers for Disease Control has created a month for education and awareness. For facts and figures on how STDs are affecting our youth, link to: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/STDAwareness/

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Sexual Violence research from The Prevention Researcher

If you work with adolescents, then you must subscribe to The Prevention Researcher.  It is one of the greatest resources showing how current research can be applied in practical, everyday programming.

You can buy individual articles from their website or subscribe to all the issues.  It is well worth the money.

Here are five issues that I thought are related to sexual violence in honor of April being National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. 


  1. Adolescent Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors
  2. Preventing Adolescent Dating Violence
  3. Sexual Violence in the Lives of Youth
  4. Youth Victimization
  5. Domestic Violence and Youth

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month

It saddens me that we have to create a month that brings awareness to sexual assault.  Just like October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, April is that time when national, state, and local non-profits work on educating the public on the rates of rape, sexual abuse and sexual assault in communities across America.  Education efforts also focus on prevention of future crimes, support for victims, and creating accountability for perpetrators. 

Educaton must also come from parents, care-givers, adult role models and other youth.  A great publication on how to raise sexually healthy youth is available from Advocates for Youth.  The publication covers some of the adolescent development issues that take place during this time frame.  Another popular article seems to be an article on appropriate sexual development in children from Self Help Magazine.

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center produces documents and collects other resources that focus on adolescent rates of violence and programs working with our youth.  I encourage you to check out the articles on the following topics:
  1. Telling It Like It Is -Teens Perspectives on Romantic Relationships
  2. Juveniles perpetrating sexual violence on minors; report from the Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention
  3. Male victims - boys & men; sample article
  4. Restorative Justice efforts 
Don't forget to check out other resources for National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and find out what is going on in your area!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

I LOVE PAYING MY TAXES!

Today is TAX DAY in the USA and what does that have to do with adolescent brain development?
Glad you asked.

Many of the national, state and local programs that support our youth are funded by Federal dollars and national grants.  As a past employee at many of these organizations, I know how much every dollar is worth.  I made a pledge to myself when I worked at these organizations, and even now when I don't, to never complain about taxes.  For me, the least I could do to support our youth is to invest in their future by paying the Feds their money.

For another great perspective on investing in children, go to a current article on braininsights blog: "Brain Power through SMART Investments" [http://braininsights.blogspot.com].

Plus join BRAIN - Brain Requiring All Investing Now [http://braininsights.blogspot.com/p/brain.html]

Spring Break and the Brain: Post #7 - What's Up Parents?

In the area of alcohol prevention, like so many other issues our youth are dealing with, open communication with parents is key.  Most alcohol prevention programs list talking to your kids as an important conversation that can make a difference in whether or not your kid drinks. 

Beyond education around the risks associated with drinking, there is a movement against parents providing alcohol and/or partying with their sons and daughters.  I've never gotten why parents think they can better monitor their kids alcohol use if they are drinking it in front of them.  Do they really think their kid is ONLY going to drink in their presence?  Check out We Don't Serve Teens.

Some great and simple tools for parents are:
  1. Brochures from the Office of National Drug Control Policy = "Keeping Your Teens Drug-Free: A Family Guide" or "Keeping Your Teens Drug Free - A Guide for African American Parents & Caregivers"
  2. Parents - The Anti-Drug brochure "Suspect your Teen is Using Drugs or Drinking?" 
  3. Family Alcohol Contract by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
  4. Brochures from The Partnership for a Drug-Free America
  5. Curriculum for parents from Leadership To Keep Children Alcohol Free Foundation.
  6. In addition, most of the national organizations have information for parents and adults who want to help their teens stop using.

Recommended resources for teens are: (1) Above the Influence  [National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign] or (2 The Cool Spot website  [National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism].  There are many more sites out their for you to explore.

Spring Break and the Brain: Post #6 - Girls & Glamour Drinks

Unfortunately girls are catching up with boys in the amount of alcohol they drink and this drinking goes beyond the innocent wine cooler or rum & coke.  Girls are drinking and they are drinking heavy.  Research has found that girls drink (1) because of low self esteem; (2) to deal with depression; (3) cope or relieve stress; and/or (4) to be part of a social circle.

Alcohol is going to affect a young girl differently than their male counterpart due to body makeup and chemistry.  For example, an average girl's body is going to have less water than a boys, therefore when drinking the alcohol is less diluted.  As a result the alcohol becomes highly concentrated in her blood.  With this higher concentration in the bloodstream, girls become intoxicated faster than boys.  Thus they are at greater risk of blackouts with less consumption. 

Alcohol use in girls has been associated with pubertal transition.  Girls who enter puberty earlier than their friends show an earlier onset of alcohol use, whereas late maturing girls are more likely to abstain from substance use.   In addition, girls may become more easily intoxicated during their menstrual cycle.

Adolescent moms who are drinking while they are pregnant create a whole different layer of concerns.  Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is harmful to the fetus.  A mother should also abstain from drinking while she is breast feeding.  Many teen girls do not know they are pregnant or live in denial as long as they can.  When they drink at a young age they are not only causing changes in their own brain but putting the fetus at risk.  It can also be much more difficult to reason with a young girl about why she needs to stop drinking.

As always, if you would like the bibliographical information for anything mentioned above, please email me.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Spring Break and the Brain: Post #5 - Case Study

In a rare instance that I actually watched the Dr. Phil Show the topic was underage drinking and the posting of such activity on social networking sites (i.e. Facebook, My Space, etc.) [aired Jan 15., 2008].  The premise for discussion was how these postings can affect future employment, getting into college, and overall reputation.

The guest teenager, Mary who was about 16 or 17 years old, was quoted as saying:
"I have drunk pictures on Facebook but I don't keep track of what's on there.  I would post a picture of me wrapped around a toilet and be damn proud of it.  I would never hide my life to get a job.  Nothing anyone would say would get me off Facebook or to stop drinking.  I love to drink.  I started in the eighth grade at age 13.  Every time I drink, I get really drunk."

My immediate reaction was "WOW" on so many different levels.  Some of the same things that I am sure you are thinking about and reacting to.  But the more astonishing thing was Mary's mother's (Pam) reaction.
"The first time that I caught Mary Elizabeth drinking, she was 15 and that's when she had fallen and hit her head and ended up in a coma. The second time that we caught Mary Elizabeth drinking things got really out of hand and the police had to be called. ... She, you know, uses her judgment, I'm assuming.  We haven't caught her other than those two times really."
  
Really...there was a second time after your daughter was in a coma.
What..."it got really out of hand" when the police showed up.  I would think the first time and the coma thing would have been judged as "really out of hand." 

In response to her mother's comment, Mary replied:
"I didn't think going to the drunk tank for the night was a very big deal.  I just thought it was kind of a joke."

So, what's going on?  What are the things we want to consider?
  • age of onset
  • amount of consumption (binge drinking, heavy drinking)
  • frequency of consumption (daily, weekly use)
  • duration of consumption (months, years)
  • any other drug use/abuse
  • overall health, any problems or consequences of drinking (i.e. diet, sleep, exercise, organ damage, etc.)

What could be the damage to Mary's brain from all this drinking?
  • frontal lobe changes/damage, specifically the prefrontal cortex
  • size and state of the hippocampus
  • cognitive functioning
  • emotional regulation
What are the results of Mary's drinking?
  • social acceptance (peers are party friends)
  • self-esteem (proud of behavior - posting evidence so the whole world can see)
  • rewards (reputation of being a party girl; she can hold her liquor)
  • inability to see the seriousness of consequences
  • domino affect of drinking (employers reactions, teachers perception, school performance)
  • creates a concern regarding parenting issues and/or choices
  • thoughts about any treatment or interventions

Would you want to work with her and how?
What do you think Mary is doing during Spring Break?

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Spring Break and the Brain: Post #4 - Boys and Beer Bongs

In researching and developing my workshop "Who Spiked the Punch? Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs on the Developing Adolescent Brain", I went on YouTube to see what the guys were doing.  I found some pretty scary stuff - nothing that I want to highlight here.  But I will admit to this, I typed in "beer bong" and received over a MILLION hits in response.  When looking at 50-75 of the videos, the majority of people with their heads under the hoses were boys.

For those of you who are not familiar with "beer bongs", allow me to inform you of the facts.  It used to be a homemade device, but now of course you can order them from companies, where beers are poured in a funnel which is secured to a hose that is in someone's mouth.  The secret, I am told, is to open up your gullet in order for your gag reflex to relax so you can keep swallowing as your friends keep pouring.  The funnel size can be large or small along with the length of the hose. I will admit to seeing these devices at house parties I attended in college but was too scared (?) too smart (?) to try it.  Maybe my decision came from watching so many people vomit after the funnel fun.

There is some data on the use of alcohol (and other drugs) by boys/males.  They are more likely to use alcohol in relation to risk-taking (ex. drinking and driving) and to enhance peer reputation (i.e. who can drink the most?). Moreover, studies look at the connection of drinking as a coping mechanism for boys dealing with many life issues. The idea being that they are less likely to verbalize their emotions, thus deal with them in unhealthy ways.

Unlike girls who primarily abused one drug, boys were more likely to be diagnosed with simultaneous abuse or dependence on MORE THAN one drug. [cite].  In addition, the researchers found that nearly twice the percentage of teenage male substance abusers had co-occurring ADHD or conduct disorders compared with female teen abusers.

Other data show that boys have considerable more problems with learning and memory after drinking than females.  This may be due to the fact that the hippocampus (the brain area responsible for these two functions) is smaller, by nature, in the male brain.  Therefore, any additional damage to the area by alcohol can make a significant difference.

A great source summarizing all this information and seeing a "real life example" is a clip from the HBO documentary, "Addiction."  Meet Dylan, the boy next door.

Spring Break and the Brain: Post #3 - Adolescence-the Age of Addiction

I attended the University of WI-Madison's annual conference "Boys & Girls At Risk" where one of the keynote speakers was Dr. Timothy Condon, Deputy Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA]. In his remarks he commented, "Addiction is a developmental disease...starts in childhood and adolescence...exposure to drugs of abuse during adolescence could have profound effects on brain development and plasticity."

In a 2004 study, researchers supported the idea that substance use and substance use disorders show systematic age-related patterns from adolescence to adulthood, thus they are developmental disorders.  Monitoring the Future [MTF] data suggests that the typical time for the start of alcohol use as well as the first intoxication is between 7th-10th grades.  Some people speculate that this early onset is related to the stress and anxiety produced when transitioning from middle school to high school.

In addition, MTF 2008 data showed that 72% of high school students consumed alcohol (more than a few sips) by the end of high school.  More than 50% of 12th graders and 18% of 8th graders reported having been drunk as least once in their life.

The paradox of adolescent drinking is that adolescents may be less sensitive than adults to the adverse effects of alcohol, but are more susceptible to brain changes and the development of alcohol dependence or an alcohol abuse disorder.  How does this work?  Often times adolescents and college students brag about how much they can drink and party plus still go to class, pass a test, get to work, or some other feat that we would guess impossible after a long night of drinking.  Not to mention, there are bragging rights for those that can drink the most or throw up in notorious ways.  The adolescent body is at its prime.  Their respiratory and circulatory systems are at a peak and their bodies can gain muscle to become a strong structure that is difficult to hurt.  Participating in these risky behaviors and not realizing (or suffering) the serious consequences is known as the "health paradox" of the adolescent. 

The second part of the paradox is what we should be most concerned about.  The developing adolescent brain is more vulnerable to alcohol than adults.  The human brain has a natural quality of being "plastic" or changeable, this is called "plasticity."  The adolescent brain is very "plastic," not as "stable" as adult brains and therefore more apt to be negatively affected by alcohol.  As mentioned in Post #2, the frontal lobes of the adolescent brain are still developing.  This area helps us control our desires, emotions and assists in decision-making.  When this area is "flooded" with alcohol, the frontal lobes can be damaged.

The use, abuse and dependence on alcohol that can happen during adolescence can lead to an addiction. National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA] defines addiction as a brain disease because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain.  [Remember this is also the definition of "adolescent brain development" - changes in the structure and function of the young child's brain to the adult brain.]  NIDA lists other qualities of addiction as: (1) compulsive drug-craving, seeking and using; (2) use persists even in times of negative consequences; (3) there is a loss of control in limiting the intake of the substances; and (4) it implies a likelihood of relapse.  

Does this describe an adolescent in your life?

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

National Alcohol Awareness Month

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month sponsored by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.  Here is the link to the official website offering a great supply of resources and information.


Monday, April 5, 2010

Spring Break and the Brain: Post #2 - Effects of Alcohol on the Developing Adolescent Brain

Just to make sure everybody understands: ALCOHOL DOES EFFECT THE DEVELOPING BRAIN.  It amazes me when people, usually young people, want to debate this fact.  OF COURSE alcohol can have an effect on brain development.  Why do you think the experts tell pregnant women to stop drinking when they are pregnant...because it can impact the fetus.

Two strong factors  that determine how much effect alcohol (and other drugs) will have on the developing brain are: (1) age that the youth starts drinking and (2) the amount & frequency of the drinking.   Research shows that youth who start drinking at the age of 14 or younger are 4 times more likely to become alcohol dependent as those who begin drinking at the age of 20 or older.  Moreover, instead of "outgrowing" the party days, young abusers are significantly more likely to have drinking problems as adults. 

The two main brain areas that most susceptible to damage are the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex.  Looking specifically at the hippocampus, drinking can result in a small hippocampi, which is the area of the brain that handles many types of memory and learning. Why is this significant? Consider a child's capacity to learn and remember if they have a deficiency in this area.  Adolescent drinkers have shown to perform worse on vocabulary tests where verbal & nonverbal information recall was most heavily affected.  This area suffers the worst alcohol-related brain damage. 

Secondly, the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is considered the CEO of the brain, can also suffer severe changes that are not for the good.  The importance of this?  The PFC is responsible for decision making, logical processing, impulse control, and evaluating consequences.  All skills that are greatly needed during adolescent development. Damage from alcohol can be long-term and irreversible.

In binge drinking [defined as 5 or more drinks in a row at least once in the past 2 weeks], the frontal cortex (i.e. PFC) responsible for rational thought and the hippocampus (controls memory) are shut down.  This obliterates any consciousness, thus producing a state where the brain is unable to control the impulses of drunk teenagers.  "Crazy things" can and do happen.  This can also explain why during a binge, remembering the crazy things that did happen are fuzzy to say the least. In addition, binge drinking, the most popular form of alcohol abuse in adolescents, may serve as self-medication to cover a range of issues they may face.

Heavy drinking, which can encompass binge drinking, causes the brain's reward system to be altered where the brain begins to depend on the alcohol as the stimulus that increases the amount of dopamine.  The brain produces a natural level of dopamine that helps us pay attention to what is new, serves as a motivator, and of course, makes us feel good.  When drinking the dopamine level increases resulting in that "happy buzz" feeling.  With continued drinking, the brain produces less "natural dopamine" because of the constant supply of the "artificial dopamine" that the alcohol produces.  Maintaining this high level of dopamine can cause a person to seek more alcohol, thus resulting in dependency or addiction.  


As always, please email me if you would the citations for the research noted above.

Jamie Lee Curtis chimes in against binge drinking.

RIGHT ON Jamie Lee, but don't forget the impact on their brains.
 Jamie Lee Curtis's article on binge drinking.

Spring Break and the Brain: Post #1 - The Seriousness of it All

One could argue that college students who do heavy partying during Spring Break do enough damage to their brains that everything learned in their classes thus far is wiped away.  I can remember when I was in college we joked around about killing brain cells with the amount of drinking we did.  What is it about the freedom to get blitzed and sick in the spring time that draws so many young people to the keg every year?

I heard about another spring break tragedy this morning on Good Morning America. Matt James fell from his balcony to his death. He is the second young person this spring break season to meet this kind of untimely demise {Brandon Kohler, 19 years old, was the first}.  In the news report, Matt, 17 years old, is described as hard-working, nice, funny high school football player who was recruited by Notre Dame for next year.  At the time of the incident however, Matt was described as a belligerent young man who broke things in his hotel room and began an argument with fellow partiers on the balcony next door.  It was in his attempt to "shake his finger at them" (I can only suspect what finger that was), when he quickly slipped off his 5th floor balcony. 

The seriousness of the dangers, safety issues, and overall health of young college students who flock to Florida or the nearest house party has prompted the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to post Spring Break Healthy & Safety Information.

I guess gone are the days when a few friends, enjoying the break from classes, get together for a casual cook-out and a few beers.  Like so many other things in the lives and culture of our youth, times have changed to where the consequences are tragic.

This week I am going to focus on the effects of alcohol on the developing adolescent brain. Any type of drug, - whether it be legal like alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, inhalants or the range of illegal drugs - can and does have an impact on the developing adolescent brain.  There is so much information regarding every type of drug, that I am choosing to focus on alcohol first.  I will conquer the others in future posts.

To end, here are some statistics from the CDC:
  • About 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 years in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.
  • The proportion of current drinkers that binge is highest in the 18- to 20-year-old group (51%).
  • The prevalence of binge drinking among men is 2 times the prevalence among women.


Thursday, April 1, 2010

Adolescents are funny - no foolin'

I am not a huge fan of April's Fool Day but I have done my fair share of pranks over the years.  I can remember doing things to friends' lockers in high school and trying to sell my favorite teachers on a tall tale or two.  This morning while I was listening to WKLH, my favorite radio station out of Milwaukee,  I heard one of the best stories about getting pranked that happened to a father just a few hours earlier.  The prankster...his 14 year old daughter.  She had successfully completed her mission when her father awoke to string tied on his bedroom door "locking" him into his bedroom.  After squeezing his hand though enough to free the door knob, he entered into the bathroom where his daughter covered the toilet with saran wrap clear enough that her father did not notice and made a puddle on the floor.  Then down in the kitchen the father walked into a room criss-crossed with fishing wire.  He commented, "I could have cut my head off."  Finally, after preparing to leave for work, he walked out the door and opened the garage to find his teenage daughter and her friend sitting in the driveway.  In his amazement he asked why they were not on the bus.  The clever girl had changed all the clocks in the house.
The radio DJs immediately asked if he was or is mad at her.  The father answered, "How could you get mad...she got me and she got me good.  My mother and I are planning on getting her back some how today." 
His 14 year old daughter is at a great stage of brain development where humor is becoming more subtle and complex.  When children are young, the clearly stated knock-knock jokes or funny body movements are the basis of their humor.  They need simple words, goofing things they can participate in and nothing requiring complex thought.  As adolescents develop their jokes and sense of humor they expand their ability to "get" the higher level thinking needed for some jokes and situations.  Moreover they begin the ability to laugh at themselves, even though you may never see it for fear that they would be embarrassed.  These abilities are attributed to the development of the prefrontal cortex, the front part of the brain responsible for reasoning, executive functioning and decision making.  Research also points to the cerebellum, at the back of the brain, to have a role in "adult humor." 
So HURRAY to the clever daughter for having the planning skills to pull everything off and the insight to know what her father would find funny.  The question is if she has the forethought to see that Dad is planning his revenge.