Multigenerational Legacies of Trauma

Multigenerational legacies of suffering are universal and as old as humankind. Given ongoing worldwide violent atrocities, understanding and addressing their intergenerational consequences is vital. Transmission mechanisms explored range from the basic biological to the complex psychological, and the sociopolitical. The first and most frequently investigated offspring population is that of Nazi Holocaust survivors. The chapter synthesizes the research on these offspring and some of the more recently studied offspring groups. It then presents the major theory of multigenerational trauma transmission—Trauma and the Continuity of Self: A Multidimensional, Multidisciplinary Integrative Framework, that provides the bases for the first valid transmission assessment measure—the Danieli Inventory for Multigenerational Legacies of Trauma. Part II of the Danieli Inventory—Reparative Adaptation Impacts—is key to assessing the well-being of the second generation. Recommendations for further research and enhancing clinical interventions are included.