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Childhood Trauma & Emotional Neglect in Asian Immigrant & Refugee Families

Canh Tran

What is Childhood Trauma?

  • Childhood trauma happens when a child experiences a distressing or harmful event. These events can be big, like a natural disaster or violence, or they can be ongoing, like abuse or neglect.

  • Sometimes, even seemingly smaller events can have a big impact on a child's emotional physical, and psychological well-being.

  • Research has shown that childhood trauma can lead to a wide range of physical and mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, self-harm, and relationship difficulties. It can also affect cognitive development, academic performance, and social skills.

What is Childhood Emotional Neglect?

  • Childhood emotional neglect is a failure of parents or caregivers to respond to a child’s emotional needs. This type of neglect in childhood can have harmful consequences into adulthood.

  • A parent may fulfill the child’s physical needs such as a home, clothing and food, as well as their educational needs; however fail to support their child emotionally, leading to the child’s inability to develop healthy emotions later in life.

  • The child may believe that since parents ignored emotions such as anger and sadness, this means that their emotions do not matter or are unacceptable.

What Can Cause Childhood Trauma & Neglect?

  • Physical abuse (pushing, hitting, shoving, restraints, throwing items, causing injuries, and more)

  • Sexual abuse (forced sexual intercourse, unwanted touch, saying sexually inappropriate things, molestation, incest, and more)

  • Emotional abuse (consistent screaming, threats, criticism, over controlling, overprotecting, blaming, shaming, manipulating, name calling, gaslighting, humiliation, and more)

  • Emotional neglect (absence, silence, emotional unavailability, invalidating emotions, dismissing emotions, lack of emotional support, ignoring of needs/wants, not meeting basic needs like hygiene, shelter, food, healthcare, education)

  • Sudden loss or death

  • Separation

  • Bullying

  • Foster care system

  • Dysfunctional home environments

  • Traumatic and/or unexpected accidents

  • Domestic violence

  • Community violence

  • Poverty

  • Natural disasters

  • Terrorism

  • War experiences

  • Refugee experiences

  • Living with a parent/caregiver with untreated mental health and substance use issues

  • Growing up with a parent/caregiver who is/was incarcerated

  • And more

Generational Vs. Intergenerational Trauma

Generational (Passed Down From One Generation to Another)

  • Generational trauma refers to the emotional and psychological burdens passed down from one generation to the next (multiple generations over time).

  • This is often caused by historical events or shared cultural experiences that have profoundly affected a particular group of people.

  • For example, families who have endured war, genocide, or forced migration may carry the weight of these traumatic events through their descendants.

Intergenerational (Transmission Of Trauma Between Family Members Within 1 Generation)

  • Intergenerational trauma refers to the transmission of trauma between family members within one single generation.

  • Unlike generational trauma, it does not necessarily involve the inheritance of historical or cultural traumas. Instead, it usually comes from traumatic experiences faced by individuals within the family unit, such as abuse, neglect, addiction, or significant losses.

  • The effects of intergenerational trauma can ripple through the family, impacting relationships, emotional well-being, and behavioral patterns.

What is Intergenerational Trauma?

  • The unresolved trauma experienced by parents or grandparents, whether from war, conflict, or other traumatic events, can influence family dynamics and the emotional well-being of children.

  • This can lead to challenges in attachment, communication, and overall familial relationships, further exacerbating the risk of childhood trauma.

Examples of Generational Trauma (Passed Down From One Generation to Another)

  • A child is physically abused by their parents/caregivers as punishment for misbehaving. The child does not learn how to manage their feelings when overwhelmed and/or ask for what they want/need because this wasn’t modeled/taught to them. The child grows up and becomes an adult, has their own child, and replicates the same cycle by abusing their own child because they were never taught assertive communication, healthy boundaries, and emotional regulation skills. The cycle is ongoing until one generation learns a new way of being to interrupt current patterns/dynamics.

  • An individual has hoarding tendencies. They like to buy things in excess and in bulk to save up in case something happens in the future like a natural disaster, war, etc. This individual’s parent went through a genocide and war witnessing violence, the death of family members, mass killings, and living in a war zone. The individual parent’s may have passed down themes/patterns/traits of scarcity, anxiety, fear, terror, panic to the individual, leading to hoarding tendencies.

  • An individual survived a war, experienced and witnessed numerous traumatic experiences, and has a sense of overprotection toward their children as well as silence about what they’ve been through. When asked about their experiences of war and trauma by their children, the individual does not answer, changes the subject, or becomes uncomfortable/avoidant. The child picks up on this discomfort and learns to stop asking their parent questions. The parent is overly protective toward their children due to the traumatic experiences they experienced. This includes: checking in on them constantly, monitoring them and their whereabouts, planning for the future, wanting control/structure, wanting to fix/solve things, not trusting others/being mistrustful, etc. The child feels the parent’s anxiety, panic, and worry and develops their own anxiety and worry. This anxiety and worry seeps into their school, work, and personal lives. They find it challenging to build, create, sustain personal and romantic relationships due to their feelings of anxiety and worry and difficulties with healthy, open, direct, and assertive communication.

Examples of Intergenerational Trauma (Transmission Of Trauma Between Family Members Within 1 Generation)

  • Children adopting behaviors like their parents/caregivers

  • A child learns to internalize/push down/rationalize/intellectualize their emotions because their parent/caregiver does the same thing (role modeling)

  • A child is more likely to have problematic substance use issues/addiction if their parent/caregiver has problematic substance use issues/addiction history

  • A child witnessing their mother being abused by their father might learn to fear men and have difficulties in relationships with men (trust, esteem, intimacy, identity)

Challenges Asian Immigrants & Their Families May Face

  • Migration

  • Refugee experiences

  • Acculturation stress

  • Language barriers

  • Discrimination and exclusion

  • Financial stress and economic insecurity

  • Family separation and disruption

  • Trauma

  • War & Conflict

  • Mental health stigma

  • Intergenerational trauma

  • Dysfunctional family dynamics

Acculturation Stress

  • The process of assimilating into a new culture while maintaining one's cultural identity can be a significant source of stress for Asian immigrant families.

  • Struggling to navigate unfamiliar customs, values, and social norms can lead to feelings of isolation and a sense of cultural disconnection.

  • Acculturation stress can further exacerbate the challenges, impacting both adults and children within the family unit and potentially contributing to the development of trauma.

Language Barriers

  • Language barriers often pose a significant challenge for Asian immigrant families, limiting their ability to express themselves, seek help, and navigate various systems in the host country.

  • Limited proficiency in the dominant language can create a sense of powerlessness and frustration, leading to miscommunication and difficulties in accessing essential resources and services.

  • These barriers can contribute to a heightened sense of isolation and increase the risk of traumatic experiences.

Discrimination

  • Asian immigrants may face various forms of discrimination and social exclusion, ranging from subtle biases to overt acts of racism.

  • Experiences of discrimination can be deeply distressing and traumatic, affecting individuals' mental health and overall well-being.

  • Systemic racism and xenophobia can create additional barriers to education, employment, and social integration, amplifying the sense of marginalization and increasing the risk of trauma within Asian immigrant families.

Family separation

  • Migration often involves leaving behind extended family members and support networks, which can result in profound feelings of loss and loneliness. The separation from loved ones, combined with the challenges of building new social connections, can contribute to feelings of isolation and a lack of support. The disruption of family dynamics and the loss of familiar cultural contexts can impact both parents and children, increasing the vulnerability to traumatic experiences.

War

  • Many Southeast & South Asian countries have a history marked by war and conflict, resulting in widespread violence, displacement, and trauma.

  • Children growing up in these environments may directly experience the horrors of war, including witnessing violence, losing loved ones, and being displaced from their homes.

  • The long-lasting impact of war and conflict can lead to severe emotional and psychological trauma among children in these communities.

Refugee Experiences & Forced Migration

  • Forced migration and the experience of being a refugee can be deeply traumatic for children. South & Southeast Asian countries have witnessed significant refugee movements due to political instability, persecution, and economic hardships.

  • The journey itself, including dangerous escapes and difficult living conditions in refugee camps, can contribute to trauma.

  • Furthermore, the challenges of adapting to a new country, language barriers, and cultural adjustment can add additional stressors to a child's already fragile state.

Financial Struggles

  • Many Asian immigrant families face economic challenges and financial insecurity, particularly during the early stages of settlement.

  • The pressure to secure stable employment, provide for the family, and send remittances to support relatives back home can create significant stressors.

  • Financial hardships can lead to feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, and a constant sense of insecurity, which can contribute to the development of trauma within the family unit.

  • Poverty and socioeconomic disadvantages prevalent in some Southeast Asian communities can contribute to childhood trauma.

  • Lack of access to basic necessities, such as proper nutrition, healthcare, and quality education, can create a breeding ground for trauma.

  • Economic hardships within families can lead to increased stress levels, domestic conflict, and parental mental health issues, further impacting children's well-being and increasing the risk of trauma.

Mental Health Stigma

  • In certain Southeast Asian cultures, there may be stigmas surrounding mental health, making it challenging for children to seek help or receive appropriate support.

  • Cultural beliefs and practices may prioritize resilience and downplay the significance of psychological distress, leading to under recognition and under treatment of childhood trauma.

  • Lack of accessible and culturally sensitive mental health services further compounds the issue, leaving many children without the support they need to heal.

How Do I Heal From Childhood Trauma?

Read My Other Blog Posts on Trauma

Resources & Further Reading