There’s even an emerging body of research that indicates trauma can be passed down through generations. Although science is not yet sure how it works, there is evidence that so-called transgenerational trauma can be transferred from trauma survivors to other generations. Think of the Holocaust, the Armenian Massacre, and other instances of severe horror and deprivation, and you’ll understand the premise.
On a smaller scale, science has proved that traumatic experiences – sexual or physical abuse, emotional mistreatment, bullying, or witnessing a crime -- can lead to a host of adult disorders, particularly substance abuse. It’s a form of post-traumatic stress disorder, which manifests itself in self-medication, low self-esteem and general depression.
The Definition of Trauma
Let’s define our terms. Trauma means events that are perceived as negative, ones that overwhelm a person’s ability to cope and are extremely emotionally painful. These can be caused by outside influences, as in experiencing a natural disaster, witnessing an automobile crash or seeing an industrial accident. It also may be defined as sexual or physical assault. When these occur during childhood, it’s termed abuse when children are threatened or actually harmed by those who have power over them. This can be a wide range of people, including family members, teachers, coaches, police, religious leaders, or judges. Abuse can happen anywhere, including home, churches, schools, foster care, while a ward of the justice system and even in work settings.
Physical abuse is defined as aggression that leads to potential injury or may cause an additional risk of damage. This can be outright beating a child or may just be rough play, severe tickling or dangerous play that may lead to problems. Physical damage can be as simple as bruises or may include broken bones and loss of consciousness. While some households practice corporal punishment, the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations has taken a firm stance against the practice, calling it degrading to children and prohibiting it as far back as 1992.
Sexual abuse happens when children are exposed to behaviors by an adult or an older person who has authority over them in some fashion, typically entrusted to care for them in the absence of a parent. The sexual behavior is done for adult gratification and severely exploits the trust of the child.
Psychological abuse is more subtle. It is intended to create fear, destroy dignity and damage psychological integrity. It’s usually done in the form of verbal abuse, such as threats of abandonment, berating children, disparaging them or scapegoating. They can also manifest in such degrading actions as standing in a corner, putting them in a closet, tying them down or humiliation in front of others. Sometimes, children are coerced into harming themselves physically as a form of self-punishment.
Neglect is simply the omission of care in a manner that threatens actual survival. A lack of food, shelter, clothing or just leaving the child without supervision can be construed as neglect.
Childhood Trauma Statistics
In one significant research study in the southern United States, it was discovered that young children exposed to violence or who were personally abused in the first three years of their childhood were more than 75 percent likely to suffer from one or more delays in language development, brain development or other emotional growth.
As they were exposed to more traumatic events, researchers discovered that the children were exponentially more likely to become at risk for depression, drug abuse, alcoholism, suicide, pregnancy problems, heart and liver diseases, uncontrollable anger, high stress, and a host of other family, job and financial problems.
The traumatized were four times more likely to become alcoholic, 15 times more likely to attempt suicide, three times more likely to be absent from work, three times more likely to have serious job problems, twice as likely to have obstructive pulmonary disease and twice as likely to have financial problems.
Paths to Better Behavior
In short, childhood trauma makes a mess out of lives, and as such, is a major public health problem in the United States. Whether through sexual or physical abuse or simple neglect, the impact on a person's life is established, and it’s not merely psychological. Evidence has shown that exposure to trauma can compromise neural function and the actual structure of the brain, which later makes them more likely to develop a host of social and physical problems like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
The timing of the stresses appears particularly important, and the types of stresses often determine the adult outcome. For example, emotional abuse is more likely to induce adult depression than physical or sexual abuse.
The actual physical changes in the brain may be a product of evolution. Our reactions to trauma may have helped our ancestors survive in a harsh and unforgiving world, keeping them wired to react and confront threats to well-being. But in modern times, the stresses of trauma produce undesirable reactions, whereby the abused may overreact and become violent when triggered.
The key for childhood trauma survivors is to realize the problem and to seek alternatives to drinking, drug abuse or other ways of reacting when the stresses of past experiences manifest themselves. Coping mechanisms will help trauma survivors regulate behavior, creating new ways to release themselves from the stress of remembered abuse. When they learn the origins of these emotions, they can begin to move forward and adjust behaviors to end the cycle and behave in ways that won’t harm them or their loved ones.