Intergenerational Trauma and Its Impact on Education

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Intergenerational trauma is emotional effects shared between generations, where parents’ experiences are passed down to their children and grandchildren. These are some of the most dangerous forms of trauma because they can be internalized by the next generation and cause victims to feel rejected, unworthy, or even unsafe in their lives. The impact of intergenerational trauma is that it creates a cycle of toxic behavior such as addiction, pain, and denial that usually result from self-esteem issues and guilt. It is important to recognize that trauma-affected students are not a homogenous group and may have different needs and ways of coping with their trauma.

Intergenerational trauma occurs when parents experience trauma in their lives, such as child abuse, and the effects of the trauma impact their parenting. In the APTN program, Susan shared how her traumatic experience with residential schools affected her daughter Paula, making it harder to break the generational cycle (APTN InFocus, 2017). People who have experienced trauma may adapt to survival mode, which can trigger stress, anxiety, and depression for both the child and the adult. Educators can better support students when they identify and accept intergenerational trauma. They can do this by being patient with the students and encouraging them to seek assistance whenever they feel overwhelmed (Venet, 2018). When working with trauma-affected children, teachers need to acknowledge their tragic past and give them hope for a better future.

There are two ways in which teachers could use to practice inter-generational trauma-informed pedagogy. First, teachers need to put more effort into closer relationships with the children affected by trauma. Second, the teachers should prioritize the culture in a broader context to create space for community members to integrate efforts to support trauma-affected children. Additionally, teachers could incorporate critical skills such as self-awareness, regulation, empathy, and cooperation during teamwork.

Educators can practice intergenerational trauma-informed pedagogy by acknowledging that trauma-affected students have diverse needs and ways of dealing with their trauma. These techniques require constant reinforcement since students tend to get distracted and fall back on what is learned. The community’s support will help distribute work to counter traumatic life experiences that emerge as toxic behaviors. The goal should be to change their mindset by working towards being trauma-informed.