It isn't just childhood stress we are talking about. We each carry an endocrine load inherited from our pasts going back generations and coded in what is called "epigenetics". This coding is carried by genes which turn themselves on or off based on the sort of environment they are born into.

As a result, we literally carry the "sins of our fathers". When our drunken great grandfather slapped his pregnant spouse, her blood chemistry changed immediately. Some of that breached the placenta and altered the developing child. In a sense, the bruise appeared on our cheek.

There is a cultural analogue as well. If the "village" stood silent we are different people than we would have been had they rallied to her defense.

I assure you that this is not academic. Your endocrine system and its mighty "fight or flight" circuits are formed by things like this.