![RG_Logo.01_Green.White[1]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6e33b0_3da921704afa4a909498d049ff58bde2~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_22,h_22,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/6e33b0_3da921704afa4a909498d049ff58bde2~mv2.png){kind=small}
Our Research
Pain and self-harm in the aftermath of child sexual abuse
This project examines the role of pain in linking child sexual abuse (CSA) to non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). While self-harm in CSA survivors is often framed in terms of self-punishment and affect regulation, the role of peritraumatic and posttraumatic pain remains underexplored.
The study advances a model that conceptualizes pain as a central mechanism shaping self-harm thoughts and behaviors following CSA, including the role of pain flashbacks as a potential posttraumatic process. Focusing on adolescents and young adults exposed to CSA, it examines how pain becomes integrated into posttraumatic processes and contributes to risk for self-harm.
From peritraumatic to posttraumatic pain in child maltreatment
This research investigates pathways linking childhood trauma to chronic pain. Despite well-established PTSD–chronic pain comorbidity, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We focus on peritraumatic pain (pain experienced during and immediately following maltreatment) - an overlooked aspect of the trauma–pain link. Building on this gap, we examine peritraumatic pain in children exposed to physical and sexual abuse, alongside work on intrusive pain symptoms (pain flashbacks).
Intergenerational transmission of pain perception and orientation to bodily signals
This project examines mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of posttraumatic orientation to bodily signals, interoceptive awareness, and pain perception. We developed a novel paradigm to assess embodied empathy, combining laboratory measures of pain perception with biosensor-based assessments of dyadic stress synchronization. The study includes over 700 parent–young adult dyads (self-report) and more than 200 dyads in in-lab experimental assessments.
Peritraumatic responses to child maltreatment: Beyond fight–flight–freeze
This international collaborative project examines peritraumatic responses to child maltreatment among youth in Israel and Germany. It aims to refine and empirically test a model that extends beyond the traditional fight–flight–freeze framework, capturing a broader range of responses in the context of ongoing interpersonal threat. The study seeks to clarify how these responses are organized and how they may shape subsequent posttraumatic processes.
