Key points. Bullying is seen as a moral issue, but a meta-analysis of research shows it's a medical issue. Bullying, along with child maltreatment, can do physical damage to important brain regions.

And yet, researchers maintain there is still a limited understanding of how the behavior may physically shape the developing brain. Bullying is usually defined as repeated and intentional verbal ...

Motivation to bully is regulated by brain reward circuits. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 2, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com / releases / 2016 / 06 / 160629135255.htm.

Brain scans of teens with a history of aggressive bullying behavior suggest that they may actually get pleasure out of seeing someone else in pain, researchers said Friday. Bully's brain feels joy ...

Bullying and other types of chronic social stress affect gene activity and hormones in the brain, suggests a new study in mice. The changes may lead to social anxiety in inappropriate situations.