The stress caused by abuse or violence as a child can result in biological changes like premature aging a new study says.

The Duke University study said that chromosomes of those children exposed to violence, bullying and the like, showed signs of biological aging, reported PostMedia News.

Reported Medical Daily, the researchers measured the biological aging of the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes called 'telomeres,' which keep DNA from unravelling and shows their wear.

The study looked at a group of children at five, seven and 10 years old.

"They're definitely several years older than kids that didn't experience violence," said Idan Shalev, who co-authored the study, reported Time.

“Children who experience violence appear to be aging at a faster rate,”

Though telomere shortening had been studied before, earlier research was unable to find out whether they had worn because of childhood stress or had worn due to later health problems produced by earlier stress.

Previous studies show that children exposed to violence face more emotional and mental-health issues when they get older.

"This is the first time it has been shown that our telomeres can shorten at a faster rate even at a really young age, while kids are still experiencing stress," Shalev said, according to QMI.

The new study appeared Tuesday in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

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