There is little scientific research on the intergenerational transmission of trauma from parents to their offspring in violent households. There is also little knowledge about the importance of the...Show moreThere is little scientific research on the intergenerational transmission of trauma from parents to their offspring in violent households. There is also little knowledge about the importance of the gender of both the parents and the children in intergenerational trauma. It is important to find out more about influential factors on intergenerational trauma to be able to shape trauma treatment. This study aimed to investigate whether there is an association between the trauma symptoms of the parents and the trauma symptoms of their child. Further, there is investigated whether the gender of the child and the gender of the parents have a significant effect on intergenerational transmission of trauma. The sample consisted of 800 families with information about at least one parent (167 fathers and 633 mothers) and one child (397 boys and 403 girls). The parents’ age ranged from 18 to 55 years old (M= 3.90; SD= .81). The children were between 1 and 18 years old (M= 7.46; SD= 3.56). The following questionnaires were used: The trauma Symptoms Inventory (TSI), Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC), and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC). Results showed that the trauma symptoms of parents were a good predictor of the child’s trauma symptoms. Both the gender of the child and the gender of parents did not affect the intergenerational transmission of trauma symptoms from parents to their child. The results of the present study show that secondary trauma symptoms are a factor to consider in the treatment of trauma symptoms. More scientific research is needed to confirm the results of this study. Follow-up research must also focus on other influential factors, such as culture, resilience, and parenting style.Show less
