When a teenager makes the 'stupid choice,' their brain is working exactly as designed

When an adult refuses to let an injustice pass—stands up to a bully or asserts their rights—we call it principle.

When a 15-year-old retaliates to an insult thrown in a school corridor, risking detention, we call it a failure to think ahead.

It's easy to ascribe this to a not-yet-developed teenage brain: a convenient shorthand for assuming they simply cannot weigh consequences properly. ...