Although domestic abuse is not literally passed down through the generations through blood and genetics, researchers have found that violence does often pass from parent to child—creating a cycle of abuse.
According to a meta-analysis on data from 24 genetically informative studies, up to 50% of the total variance in aggressive behavior is explained by genetic influences.
Abusive people believe they have the right to control and restrict their partner's lives, often either because they believe their own feelings and needs should be the priority in the relationship, or because they enjoy exerting the power that such abuse gives them.
The intergenerational cycle of abuse begins when we witness or experience abusive behavior in our early life. This may be physical or emotional abuse, like the treatment Mario suffered. It includes sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, or being rejected by our parents and family members, too.
Although a tendency to commit violent acts might be identifiable in a gene, the heredity discussion switches gears when exposure, at a young age, to violent acts imprints the likelihood to repeat the violence.
The short answer is that anger can run in families, and genetics can indeed play a role—which might help to explain your angry inclinations. However, there's another significant factor that can lead to kids adopting angry tendencies from their relatives: learned behavior.
Although domestic abuse is not literally passed down through the generations through blood and genetics, researchers have found that violence does often pass from parent to child—creating a cycle of abuse.
“The symptoms of generational trauma include hypervigilance, fears of death or no hope for the future, mistrust of outsiders, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), low self-esteem, issues of addiction, domestic violence, and sexual abuse.”
Results: The crude rates of intergenerational transmission of child abuse according to the studies reviewed are as follows: one-third of child victims grow up to continue a pattern of seriously inept, neglectful, or abusive rearing as parents. One-third do not.
Generational trauma begins when a group collectively experiences a horrific event, such as abuse, discrimination, natural disasters, racism, and war. Those events may lead to anxiety, depression, and PTSD among the people directly affected by their effects.
It is important to note that the vast majority of sexual abuse victims do not grow up to become abusers. However, some scientists believe a biological predisposition to the condition, combined with the experience of being molested as a child, might lead to someone developing the condition as an adult.
Victims of psychological abuse are often strong, confident, and successful. This is because abusers are attracted to someone they think will be a "challenge" to break.
A person may develop a trauma bond because they rely on the abusive person to fulfill emotional needs. For example, a child relies on their parent or caregiver for love and support. If that caregiver is abusive, the child may come to associate love with abuse.
Further research shows that when taking issues of severity into consideration, fathers or father surrogates are responsible for more severe physical abuse and fatalities than female perpetrators (US Department of Health and Human Services [US DHHS], 2005).
A growing body of research suggests that trauma (like from childhood abuse, family violence, or food insecurity, among many other things) can be passed from one generation to the next. Here's how: Trauma can leave a chemical mark on a person's genes, which can then be passed down to future generations.
Experiencing abuse or other trauma puts people at risk of developing mental health conditions, such as: Anxiety disorders. Depression. Post-traumatic stress disorder.
The highest rate of child abuse is in babies less than one year of age, and 25 percent of victims are younger than age three. The majority of cases reported to Child Protective Services involve neglect, followed by physical and sexual abuse.
“The abuser is likely to have a history of abuse,” he says. Sometimes, parents target a child for abuse because the child is hyperactive, has a disability, or displays personality traits the parent doesn't like.
One in 9 girls and 1 in 20 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault. 82% of all victims under 18 are female. Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.
How is trauma passed down? Intergenerational trauma is believed to pass from one generation to the next through genetic changes to a person's DNA after they experience trauma. There is some evidence that these genetic markers are passed on to a person's offspring.
Some examples of generational curses are: addictions (i.e. drug/alcohol, sex), mental illnesses (depression, schizophrenia, bipolar depression), physical illnesses (hypertension, heart disease, cancer), and even poverty to name a few.
Adverse childhood experiences can be passed from generation to generation as if they were genetic. But breaking that generational trauma is complex. There aren't easy solutions. It involves an intricate web of understanding the issue, preventing and treating the root issues.
These include substance use, unresolved mental health issues, the young age of a parent, lack of education, difficulty bonding or nurturing with the child, prior history of child abuse, or other trauma.
Violent behavior often begins with verbal threats but over time escalates to involve physical harm. Violence is learned behavior, so it is especially important to help your children learn that violence is not a healthy way to resolve conflict.
Biological, psychological, and socioeconomic influences must be considered when discussing the etiology of aggression. Biological causes include genetics, medical and psychiatric diseases, neurotransmitters, hormones, substances of abuse, and medications.