Adults still suffer.....

Truth That Hurts......

Why is child abuse a problem for the child or even after that

child becomes an adult? Because it is a major public health problem.

Some people may be under the impression that once a child grows up they

 will somehow magically heal the scars from abuse. As the link abov

e demonstrates, these effects can last into adulthood if left alone.

Even the environment the child is placed in can have consequences

 as to how the that person will respond to similar circumstances as an adult.

Indeed being placed in a abusive environment is a constant source of stress for a child.

This study looks at the effects of such stress on children using the

 example of parental conflict. This study looks at two different approaches

a child tends to take in an abusive environment. One strategy will cause the child to

 elevate levels of a hormone called cortisol, which is thought to increase a person’s

 sensitivity to stress. Other children react to stressful home situations by slowing cortisol

production, which is “regarded as a marker for diminishing experiences of danger and alarm”.

While humans do have built-in mechanisms to help deal with trauma, it does come

at a cost: “Heightened cortisol levels characteristic are related to lower attention problems

but also put them at risk for developing anxiety and depression over time.

By contrast, the lower cortisol levels for the other coping strategy in aggressive f

amilies were associated with lower anxiety problems; however, at the same time,

 these children were more prone to risky behavior, including attention and

 hyperactivst  problems.” As the previous links indicate, these problems can continue i

nto adulthood.The effects of such traumatic events such as childhood trauma can have long lasting effects on the memory and the Hippocampus. PTSD is normally associated with combat trauma, such as what is seen with military personal who return from armed conflict. However, the developing brain of a child being exposed to prolonged abuse can also suffer PTSD symptoms even throughout adulthood. The link above describes the various symptoms.

c/o Toni L.Vossen 2012