Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, they compared the brains of 43 children: 20 had been exposed to family violence and 23 lived in safe environments. When shown images of angry faces, the abused children showed heightened activation in the amygdala and anterior insula, brain regions responsible for detecting threats and anticipating pain.
In survival mode
Shockingly, these children had no psychiatric diagnosis, meaning they appeared fine on the outside, but inside, their brains were already in survival mode. These same areas are activated in soldiers who have been in combat, suggesting that children’s brains adapt to domestic violence as if they were in a war zone.
Urgent action needed
Professor Peter Fonagy concluded that this finding should prompt urgent action to protect children from violence and its invisible but lasting effects. This isn’t just a mental health issue. It’s a call to care for what’s most profound: the emotional and neurological development of those who depend on us most.
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Wilmer Useche
