(AP - Violence can prematurely age children, by as much as seven to 10 years.
That's according to a study published in Molecular Psychiatry and written about in U-S-A Today.
The study looked at children's D-N-A sequences and found they shortened faster than normal in kids exposed to violence.
Researchers say that may make children more likely to get diseases associated with aging -- like heart attacks -- seven to 10 years before their peers.
The study looked at children who faced three types of violence: domestic violence against their mother, bullying and being the target of mistreatment from an adult.
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