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Child Abuse

Bullying and the Brain

Bullying—mistreating and dominating others—is harmful in the moment and possibly throughout the rest of a person’s life. Get the basics. Here are the basics.
Child Abuse

New Report Finds Current Strategies Insufficient for Preventing the Most Preventable Cause of Mental Illness

Childhood maltreatment is the No. 1 preventable cause of mental illness yet science still has no clear answers for how to best prevent the spiral of neglect and abuse that threatens millions of infants and children
girl looks out window
Child Abuse

The Abused Brain

Neural Adaptation, Resilience, and Compensation in Childhood Maltreatment

What happens to the brain of a child who is abused, neglected, or otherwise maltreated?
child holding adult's hand
Child Abuse

Pediatricians’ Group Says Spanking is Ineffective, Potentially Harmful

A new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics stresses the harmful impact, and ineffectiveness, of spanking children.
teddy bear in abandoned building
Child Abuse

The Deprived Brain

Children who lag cognitively after spending time in orphanages can make up the difference by young adulthood, suggest two longitudinal studies, but some behavior and emotional issues remain—or even increase. This suggests that environmental influences might lead to disorders with or without genetic precursors.
baby held in mom's arms
Child Abuse

Fear in Love

Attachment, Abuse, and the Developing Brain

Dr. Regina Sullivan explains how her research with rat pups has led to greater understanding of the infant brain, and how negative early experiences can cause long-term genetic, brain, behavioral, and hormonal changes that can affect not only the abuse victim but also the victim’s descendants.
Child Abuse

Wounds That Time Won’t Heal: The Neurobiology of Child Abuse

Neuropsychologist Martin Teicher reveals the alarming connections scientists are discovering between child abuse—even when it is psychological, not physical—and permanent debilitating changes in the brain that may lead to psychiatric problems.

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