I've been thinking a lot about adolescence lately. Not just as an abstract concept, but as a lived reality that millions of young people navigate every single day. And honestly? I'm troubled by what I see.
What strikes me most when I read the news or listen to political discourse? The fear. There's this pervasive fear of adolescents that seems to colour every conversation about young people. We talk about them as problems to be solved, behaviours to be corrected, or threats to be contained. But when did we become so afraid of our own children?
The Complexity We're Missing
Here's the thing that gets me—adolescence isn't a disease that needs curing. It's quite possibly the most transformative period of human development. We're talking about a time when young people's brains are literally rewiring themselves, when they're discovering who they are, exploring their sexuality, forming their identities, and yes, experiencing emotions with an intensity that can feel overwhelming .
The World Health Organisation defines adolescence as spanning from 10 to 19 years, though many experts now extend this to 24, recognising that markers like economic independence and career establishment have shifted later in Western societies . That's a significant portion of life—and yet we treat it like it's something to rush through or suppress.
What fascinates me is that there are over 1.3 billion adolescents in the world today. The Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health suggests this could represent "the greatest opportunity for humanity's future" . But only if we listen, support, and respect them. And that's precisely where we're failing.
The Punishment Paradigm
I'm particularly concerned about what's happening in Italy, where recent policies seem designed to criminalise rather than support young people. The Caivano decree treats social problems as public order issues, resulting in dramatically increased numbers of minors ending up in prison—arguably the most criminogenic environment possible.
Think about that for a moment. We're taking young people who are struggling and placing them in institutions that research consistently shows increase rather than decrease criminal behaviour. Meanwhile, there are proposals to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years old . Twelve. That's barely past childhood.
Even more troubling is how we're treating young climate activists. These are adolescents who are literally fighting for their future—our future—through peaceful protest. Yet they're being labelled as "eco-vandals" and facing years in prison for non-violent actions that raise awareness about climate change . Shouldn't we be grateful for their engagement instead of punishing it?
The Mental Health Crisis We're Ignoring
The statistics are sobering. Suicide is now the leading cause of death among 15-19 year olds globally . Let that sink in. Not accidents, not disease, but suicide. Anxiety, depression, panic attacks, self-harm, and eating disorders are increasing among those under 16 .
Psychiatrist Beniamino Gigli notes that territorial services are seeing more parents queuing up for help with children who are violent, depressed, or isolated . But instead of addressing the root causes, we're focusing on symptoms and punishment.
Dr. Francesca Fagioli, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist with over twenty years of experience, makes a crucial observation: "It's more urgent than ever to start by listening to young people. We don't need disciplinary programmes based on emotional education understood as a standardised formula, but a school attentive to students' wellbeing and psychological reality" .
The Smartphone Scapegoat
Take the recent ban on smartphones in Italian schools, extending restrictions to secondary education . On the surface, this might seem reasonable. But here's what bothers me—it's treating the symptom, not the cause.
If a teenager is constantly escaping into their phone, the question isn't "how do we take the phone away?" It's "what are they escaping from?" Are they lonely? Insecure? Lacking recognition? Feeling unheard? The phone isn't the problem—it's the solution they've found to a deeper issue.
This is what I mean about reducing adolescent crisis to a matter of poor conduct. We're abandoning any emotional, relational, or psychological understanding precisely when we need it most.
A Cultural Shift We Should Embrace
But here's something hopeful that Dr. Fagioli points out: there's been a significant cultural shift among young people. "Adolescents are asking to talk about mental health, they want to understand why people get sick in their thoughts and feelings, and they want to address their potential psychological problems without fear. There's no longer shame; rather, seeking a consultation is often a sign of awareness, of strength" .
This is remarkable, isn't it? Young people are ahead of us in destigmatising mental health. They're showing emotional intelligence and self-awareness that many adults struggle with. Yet we're the ones making it harder for them to access help.
The Marginalisation Problem
What worries me most is how marginalisation breeds the very problems we claim to want to solve. When we label, generalise, and push young people to the margins, we create the conditions for the most dramatic consequences.
Consider the case of Martina Carbonaro, murdered at 14 by her 19-year-old ex-boyfriend in Afragola . As Maria Gabriella Gatti writes, "this isn't an individual crime, but a structural phenomenon." Femicide doesn't emerge from a sudden impulse—it grows from a patriarchal culture that denies women full agency and teaches relationships as control and dominance .
This culture often finds support in the silences of schools, families, and media. We're complicit when we don't address these underlying attitudes.
What Young People Are Actually Showing Us
You know what I find inspiring? Young people's authentic engagement with social issues. In Italy, it was the youngest who first stood up against the genocide in Gaza, showing remarkable sensitivity and solidarity with their peers under bombardment . Yes, they were met with police batons and accusations of antisemitism, but they stood up anyway.
They're filling squares to protest climate change, war, and injustice. They're demanding accountability from leaders who seem more interested in maintaining power than protecting the future. They're not asking us to "give them a voice"—they already have one. They're asking us to listen.
The Path Forward
So what's the answer? Dr. Fagioli suggests we need schools that prioritise wellbeing and psychological reality over disciplinary measures. We need to understand that distress doesn't come from a lack of rational control, but from broken relationships, denied affection, and impoverished or distorted images of self and others .
We need therapeutic responses that are scientifically grounded and accessible to everyone. We need prevention that supports young people's questions, protests, and demands for justice. Most importantly, we need to recognise that psychological intervention is most effective when it happens early.
A Personal Reflection
As someone who has dedicated their life to making complex scientific and social phenomena accessible, I'm struck by how much we adults complicate what should be simple. Young people are telling us what they need. They're demonstrating their resilience, creativity, and passion for justice.
They're not problems to be solved—they're humans to be supported. They're not threats to be contained—they're allies in building a better future. They're not broken—they're becoming.
The question isn't really "who's afraid of adolescents?" The question is: what are we afraid of losing if we actually listen to them?
Perhaps we're afraid they'll show us just how much we've gotten wrong. Perhaps we're afraid they'll demand the world we've promised but failed to deliver. Perhaps we're afraid because deep down, we know they're right.
But fear has never been a good foundation for policy, parenting, or progress. It's time we moved beyond it.
This article explores the complex realities of adolescence in contemporary society, drawing on expert perspectives on youth development, mental health, and social policy. At Free Astroscience, we believe in explaining complex social and psychological phenomena in accessible terms, fostering understanding rather than judgment.
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