The statistics are shocking and profoundly sad. In 2014, more than 3 million reports of child abuse, involving more than 6 million children, were filed with state and local authorities in the U.S.
Complaints encompassed physical, sexual and emotional abuse plus physical and emotional neglect. A total of 1,580 children died as a consequence of abuse, and many instances of abuse likely went unreported.
Clif CleavelandAs victims of child abuse grow into adults, they have a significantly higher risk of violent acts against intimate partners, drug and alcohol abuse, depression and suicide attempts. They are more likely to have problems with learning and social adjustment.
Are the adults who were abused in childhood simply imitating the adults who abused them? Or has mistreatment altered the victims so much that destructive impulses against themselves or others persist throughout their lives?
Exposure to pain and fear activates automatic stress responses in each of us, whether we're child or adult, including the release of a variety of hormones from pituitary and adrenal glands. Chronic stress alters the chemical environment in which cells and their genes function. The study of these environmental influences on genetic activity is known "epigenetics."
Recent studies in the field of epigenetics suggest that sustained mistreatment of a child leads to significant, lasting alterations in the behavior of that child's genes. Genes, which are composed of long chains of DNA - the body's genetic blueprint - regulate the complex functions of every organ in our body, from brain to muscles to metabolic processes.
One way to think of a gene is as a switch that can be turned on or off. The addition of a simple organic chemical can shut off the gene, and the change may last for the duration of the life of a cell and even for generations to come. This change is independent of any alteration in the arrangement of DNA within the gene.
The brains of infants and children undergo rapid, complex development. During this interval, the brain is especially sensitive to changes in its chemical environment. Abuse at this stage of life can have profound consequences for a child's subsequent emotional development.
Studies on rodents provided the first insights into the effects of infant stress on subsequent adult behavior. The changes were attributed to epigenetic alterations due to stress and such infants grew into anxious, aggressive adults. The changes continued during subsequent generations even if normal parenting was restored.
Human studies depend upon comparisons of blood samples from adults, both with and without a history of mistreatment during childhood. Distinct differences in DNA activity are seen in samples taken from adults who were abused during childhood. Sophisticated brain-imaging studies document structural and functional changes in adults whose childhoods were marked by abuse.
From extensive research we can conclude that abuse of a child triggers lasting changes in the actions of DNA. This may lead to structural and functional change in the adult brain. A pattern of abuse through subsequent generations may be launched.
Are these epigenetic changes reversible? Could sustained, kindly therapy restore a normal environment for cells and a more hopeful future for a victim of child abuse? That is a direction for future research.
Contact Clif Cleaveland at ccleaveland@timesfreepress.com.