Abstract
This article gives an overview of the long-term physical health effects of family violence, primarily in the context of the United States. It summarises the leading studies on the health effects of abuse, which are distinguished into 2 types: functional illness (such as irritable bowel syndrome), and organic illness (such as diabetes and cancer, based on the Adverse Childhood Experiences - ACE - study). It suggests that there is no knowledge on the mechanisms of why family violence makes its victims sick but discusses some promising areas of study in neuroscience, sleep studies and cognitive variables such as hostility.