De Bellis, M. D., Spratt, E. G., & Hooper, S. R.2014-12-092014-12-092011De Bellis, M. D., Spratt, E. G., & Hooper, S. R. (2011). Neurodevelopmental biology associated with childhood sexual abuse. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 20(5), 548-587.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3769180/http://hdl.handle.net/11212/1938Child maltreatment appears to be the single most preventable cause of mental illness and behavioral dysfunction in the US. There are few published studies examining the developmental and the psychobiological consequences of sexual abuse. There are multiple mechanisms through which sexual abuse can cause PTSD, activate biological stress response systems, and contribute to adverse brain development. This article will critically review the psychiatric problems associated with maltreatment and the emerging biologic stress system research with a special emphasis on what is known about victimization by sexual abuse.en-USsexual abusechild abusemaltreatmentbrain developmentdevelopmental traumatologybiological stress systemsArticle