Trauma that is transmitted from one generation to the next through psychological, social, and sometimes biological mechanisms. It can affect families and communities for decades after the original traumatic events occurred.
Coined in the 1960s studying Holocaust survivors' children, combining Latin 'inter' meaning between, 'generation' from Latin 'generare' meaning to beget, and 'trauma' from Greek meaning wound. The concept expanded to include historical trauma in various populations.
Intergenerational trauma can be transmitted through parenting styles, family stories, and even epigenetic changes that alter gene expression. Children of trauma survivors may experience symptoms of trauma despite never directly experiencing the original events - they inherit their ancestors' survival strategies.
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