Blog: Toxic Stress

Children exposed to violence express stress factors for up to a year, according to a new study from Penn State. This means that exposure to violence may have long term negative health consequences for kids.
From Science Daily:

"We know that exposure to violence is linked with aggression, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms and academic and cognitive difficulties in the short term, but little is known about the long-term effects of such exposure," said Elizabeth Susman, Jean Phillips Shibley Professor of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State. "Our data show that the stress reaction to violence exposure is not just immediate. There's an effect that endures."