The stress of exposure to early-life violence can leave lasting
marks on children so deep that it affects their DNA, according
to the findings of a study by researchers at North Carolina's
Duke University. Chromosomes of children who were exposed to
maternal violence, bullying or physical maltreatment by an adult
showed signs of biological aging, researchers reported Tuesday
in a study published by the journal Molecular Psychiatry. The
DNA of those children showed signs of "wear and tear" beyond
that caused by chronological aging. "They're definitely several
years older than kids that didn't experience violence," said
Idan Shalev, a post-doctoral researcher at Duke, who worked on
the study. Researchers examined the DNA of a group of kids when
they were five, seven and 10 years old, and found shorter
telomeres in the DNA of kids who were exposed to violence. The
children's experiences with violence included witnessing
domestic disputes, being verbally or physically bullied and
being abused by an adult. Telomer