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Empirical Evidence of Transgenerational Trauma

Transgenerational trauma can be seen as interwoven into the experience of many sectors of society. Some of which include descendants of those who experienced chattel slavery, veterans, as well as victims of sexual abuse and poverty. The experiences of previous generations can not only have an impact on the susceptibility of their descendants due to genetics but also can play a direct role in the lives of family members.

The experience of African Americans in the United States has been one that from generation to generation the awareness of previous experiences remains ever present. From the years of chattel slavery to Jim Crow laws to the violence that can be seen today – African Americans have endured trauma consistently. It is a reality that did not end with slavery or the civil rights movement, and the results of these systems are still continuously affecting the lives of younger African Americans today. One of the areas where this can be seen is in the parenting practices that have persisted into modern day. The treatment of slaves, where they were essentially forbidden from having emotional reactions at all. If they were to express any form of emotion they were subjected to severe punishment. There have been several instances where the experience of parenting from descendants of slavery have been documented as having similar trends. Parents have been found to frame their discipline around limiting emotional response.

PTSD is a common and severe effect of combat for many veterans, both in the United States and abroad. The experience of witnessing violence, death and fearing for one’s life can cause the disorder to manifest at varying periods after returning home from being deployed. One of the major ways that veterans encompass the theme of transgenerational trauma is the passing of PTSD to their children and spouses. Partners and children of veterans will likely be poorly affected by a veteran’s PTSD diagnosis – both in the sense of their attempts to help them and in their own reactions to unexpected behaviors of their loved one.

Sexual abuse is an unfortunate epidemic throughout the world, affecting adults, college students and children tremendously. In cases where a parent is a survivor of sexual assault, the trauma that they experienced at a young age can be transmitted to their own children. The children of those who experienced this type of abuse during their childhood are often documented as having similar symptoms, including, psychiatric disorders and issues with self-esteem. One of the major ways that this can occur is in the communication practices between parent and child. In this way parents can unknowingly pass along their trauma through the topics of conversation that they react to or avoid.

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