Child abuse may cause brain damage

BBC News reports that the analysis of brain tissue from adults who had committed suicide found key genetic changes in those who had suffered abuse as a child. A study from the Nature Neuroscience study underpins the impact of stress on early brain development.

Previous research has shown that abuse in childhood is associated with an increased reaction to stressful circumstances. However experts suggest that such damage may be reversible.

Child abuse causes a range of psychiatric disorders. Many children who experience sexual abuse, will also experience physical abuse particularly head injuries which can result in permanent damage. When awarding compensation, the courts have typically made an award for the assaults that occurred in childhood and the long term effects in adulthood. See the reported case of KR and Others v Bryn Alyn Community (Holdings) Ltd (In Liquidation) and Royal and Sun Alliance plc [2003] EWCA Civ 85.