Researchers Are Transmitting Violence Experiences Through the Generations?

The long shadow of childhood violence
Can serious trauma in childhood as well as sexual abuse or violence be transmitted to future generations? The theory of transgenerative transmission has existed for some time. A team from the Charité in Berlin wants to pursue this question now.

Do childhood traumas, such as early experiences of violence and abuse, transfer to the following generations? Can the long-term consequences of childhood trauma be proven in subsequent pregnancies? And do children of mothers who have had such experiences have an increased risk of disease due to these altered prenatal conditions? These questions go to researchers around Prof. dr. Claudia Buß at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin in the next five years. With € 1.48 million, the European Research Council is funding the planned investigations. Work will begin this month and first women will be included in the studies.

Early childhood trauma follow the person into adulthood. Picture: ambrozinio - fotolia

According to EU statistics, one out of every three women has experienced physical or sexual violence in their lives. The sequelae of childhood traumatic experiences can be multifaceted and include altered stress, obesity, or an increased chance of being repeatedly exposed to violence during life. Children of women with experiences of violence and abuse also have an increased risk of mental and physical illness, even if they themselves have not had any traumatic experiences. "It's like a long shadow that causes violence and abuse in childhood," says Prof. Dr. med. Claudia Buß. "To what extent this extends into the next generation, we want to find out, for example, based on observations of the child's brain development."

So far, the causes of a possible transmission of maternal early life experiences in the postnatal developmental phase of the child have been sought, as affected women often suffer from postpartum depression or have difficulties in building a close bond with their child, which can interfere with optimal child development. The Charité scientists believe that this transfer process starts much earlier. Are there changes in maternal stress biology during pregnancy that could affect the development of the unborn child? Are children of mothers with traumatic childhood experiences more susceptible to disease later in life? Can changes be found in the brain structure of newborns whose mothers have had traumatic experiences when they were children? Questions such as these on the long-term effects of childhood traumas and their transmission during pregnancy to the next generation, Prof. Buß and her team want to answer with extensive studies.

The ERC Starting Grant promotes young scientists and is awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) as part of the Horizon 2020 research framework program. 1.48 million euros are available for setting up the working group at the Institute of Medical Psychology of the Charité (Grant Agreement n ° 639766).