The words “child abuse” are likely to conjure up
horror stories that appear from time to time – physical beatings, a child
locked in a closet or tied up for long periods; or the unimaginable – like Ariel
Castro’s imprisonment of young girls. But in fact, abuse takes many
forms, beyond the physical. Recent research finds that its impact is long
lasting. It extends far into adulthood, where it affects both physical and
mental health. As Faulkner wrote, “The
past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
But this same study, combined with the findings
of some other recent research, contains hopeful signs for healing and healthy
growth following early abuse.
First, consider some less visible forms of abuse,
beyond the physical, that can create lasting consequences. For example,
parental neglect; indifference to the child’s needs or temperament; outright humiliation;
deliberate denigration. All may be fueled by the parent’s own self-hatred, jealousy,
or narcissism.
Examples range from the parent who leaves a child
in the car or home alone for hours. Or the parent who rebuffs the child who
excitedly says, “look at my new drawing!” or “see what I wrote for this school
project!” and who receives a curt, “Don’t bother me now. I’ve got to
finish up this report.” Or the parent who consistently and vocally praises one
child, while ignoring or criticizing the child’s sibling. And there’s the
classic, “You’ll never amount to anything!” Or, why can’t you be more like your
sister/brother?”
I’ve heard them all, and more. All take a
toll, and this new research study confirms that abuse has a long shelf life. It
takes a continuing toll on both physical and mental health well into adulthood.
The study, conducted by researchers at UCLA and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, examined the effects of abuse and corresponding lack of
parental affection across the body’s entire regulatory system. It found strong
links between negative early life experiences and health, across the board. The
effects permeate one’s entire mind-body system
This study of 756 subjects suggested that
“biological embedding” occurs through programming brain circuitry in ways that
shape response patterns to subsequent stress. That causes wear and tear
extending across multiple mind-body systems, and creates adverse health
outcomes decades later. The researchers suggest that toxic childhood
stress alters neural responses to stress, boosting the emotional and physical
arousal to threat, and making it more difficult for that reaction to be shut
off.
Signs of Hope
And yet, something encouraging emerged from this
study, and it joins with findings from two other studies about parents and
children. The UCLA study found that the presence of a loving, parental
figure can provide protection to the abused child. According to the
study’s report, “It is well recognized that providing children in adverse
circumstances with a nurturing relationship is beneficial for their overall
wellbeing. Our findings suggest that a loving relationship may also prevent the
rise in biomarkers indicative of disease risk across numerous physiological
systems.”
According to Judith E. Carroll, the study’s lead
author, “If the child has love from parental figures they may be more protected
from the impact of abuse on adult biological risk for health problems than
those who don’t have that loving adult in their life.” That is, those who
reported higher amounts of parental warmth and affection in their childhood had
lower multisystem health risks. Moreover, the researchers found “a significant
interaction of abuse and warmth, so that individuals reporting low levels of
love and affection and high levels of abuse in childhood had the highest
multisystem risk in adulthood.”
Their findings suggest that “parental warmth
and affection protect one against the harmful effects of toxic childhood
stress.” That’s good news, and it links with another recent finding that
touching and stroking contribute to a healthy sense of self.
That is, according to this study, affectionate
physical contact, “…characterized by a slow caress or stroke -- often an
instinctive gesture from a mother to a child or between partners in romantic
relationships -- may increase the brain's ability to construct a sense of body
ownership and, in turn, play a part in creating and sustaining a healthy sense
of self.”
Such touching seems to play a role in how the
brain learns to construct a mental picture and an understanding of the body,
which ultimately helps to create a coherent sense of self, according to a summary
of the findings. On the negative side, the absence of such experiences
are linked with various physical and emotional disorders. "As affective
touch is typically received from a loved one, these findings further highlight
how close relationships…play a crucial role in the construction of a sense of
self," said Laura Crucianelli, the lead researcher.
Another illustration of the interconnections
between the mind, body, and the network of relationships of which one is a
part, is a study finding that a positive, mutually supportive and sensitive
love relationship was associated with positive, supportive and nurturing
behavior towards one’s children.
The study’s lead author, Abigail Millings of the
University of Bristol, commented in a research summary that researchers sought
to examine how caregiving plays out in families: “…how one relationship affects
another relationship. We wanted to see how romantic relationships between
parents might be associated with what kind of parents they are. Our work
is the first to look at romantic caregiving and parenting styles at the same
time.”
The research found – no surprise – that “a common
skill set underpins caregiving across different types of relationships, and for
both mothers and fathers. If you can do responsive caregiving, it seems that
you can do it across different relationships.”
Millings added, ”It might be the case that
practicing being sensitive and responsive — for example, by really listening
and by really thinking about the other person’s perspective — to our partners
will also help us to improve these skills with our kids.”
I think the upshot of this and other findings is
that they provide more empirical confirmation that everything is connected in
our lives. How we think, feel, relate, and behave are all part of an
interconnected whole. To that point, evidence continues to mount that humans
are hardwired for empathy and connection. It’s our natural state, but its
expression may become stunted or deformed by our life experiences. One example
is a recent University of Virginia study, published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective
Neuroscience. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging brain
scans (fMRIs), if found that we experience people who we become close to as
though they are our own selves. “It’s essentially a breakdown of self and
other; our self comes to include the people we become close to,” said lead
research James Coan.
The problem is that our life experiences often
generate diminished self-worth, fragmentation, isolation, or retreat into ego
attachments that disconnect us from ourselves, within; and from others. Despite
our surface differences and conflicts we are one, beneath those differences,
like organs of the same body. That reality – if we practice it – has the power
not only to heal damage to young lives, but also to enhance greater health and
wellbeing for all lives, young and old.
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