How does the knowledge that bullying behavior may trigger a physical pleasure response change our understanding of it? Does it in any way mitigate our judgment of the child or teen who engages in bullying? Should it?

Physical pleasure is a powerful reward, particularly to the young, who cannot be expected to discipline themselves according to a social code of conduct they may not have fully absorbed -- and that contradicts their experience. It's much easier to teach someone to engage in behavior that feels good than to refrain from it.

Of course, no conclusions can be drawn from this research, as it merely makes the observation that certain areas of the brain became activated when "aggressive" teens witnessed others experiencing pain.

There are many questions it does not attempt to answer, including the important chicken-and-egg conundrum of whether the brain activity reflects a biological predisposition in certain individuals, or whether habitual aggressive behavior might alter the brain to produce the observed effect.

In any case, it suggests another layer of complication in the argument over what constitutes good vs. evil in humans, and may subtly alter our understanding of people who exhibit antisocial behavior -- particularly the young.

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