Compared to adults interrogated by police, juveniles are more likely to

Compared to adults interrogated by police, juveniles are more likely to

• A. Understand their rights
• B. Confess to a crime than remain silent
• C. Discuss disagreements with their attorney
• D. Consider the long-term effects of a plea deal

Answer: (B)

Juveniles are more vulnerable to the stress and pressure of police questioning. Their still-developing decision-making and impulse control, combined with a strong desire to end the interrogation or to please authority figures, can make them more likely to confess in order to stop the questioning. They may also underestimate the consequences or misunderstand their rights, which further increases the chance of a confession, even if they’re not guilty. This combination best explains why they are more likely to confess than to remain silent. The other ideas don’t capture this pattern as clearly—understanding rights is often weaker for youths, and discussions with an attorney or weighing long-term plea consequences are not as reliably distinctive of juvenile responses in interrogation.

Juveniles are more vulnerable to the stress and pressure of police questioning. Their still-developing decision-making and impulse control, combined with a strong desire to end the interrogation or to please authority figures, can make them more likely to confess in order to stop the questioning. They may also underestimate the consequences or misunderstand their rights, which further increases the chance of a confession, even if they’re not guilty. This combination best explains why they are more likely to confess than to remain silent. The other ideas don’t capture this pattern as clearly—understanding rights is often weaker for youths, and discussions with an attorney or weighing long-term plea consequences are not as reliably distinctive of juvenile responses in interrogation.