| dc.description.abstract | Teens around the world manifest with dysfunctional behaviour and according to statistics there was an increase of 75% in addictions, suicidal attempts and promiscuity among the youth in the past ten years. This study attempts to establish whether unresolved hurt and damaged emotions of the parents and even grandparents contribute to this affect amongst teens.
The basic-theoretical chapter shows that dysfunctional families had already existed in the Bible. An example of this is the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Through the history of these Biblical families it is shown that certain patterns repeat themselves in generation after generation. The exegetical analysis of suitable Scriptures give Biblical guidelines with which damaged emotions, caused by intergenerational trauma, can be healed when assisted with the guidance of pastoral caregivers. The next chapter deals with contributions by various pastoral authors in connection with the theme of intergenerational trauma. According to their view there is a definite connection between the unresolved trauma of previous generations and the wounds of some of the current generation of teens. God based family structure on perfect harmony, but this relationship was broken because of the fall. It subsequently led to the inheritance of fractured relationships by mankind and the only way to repair this relationship is for man to repair his relationship with God. Only thereafter man would be able to repair his earthly relationships. According to empirical theory the research done on the children of Holocaust survivors was the first of its kind to be undertaken on secondary traumatization, which by its nature is connected to intergenerational distress. Although current literature gives some recognition to the problem of intergenerational distress, the total impact of secondary trauma on the next generation is still being ignored. Empirical researchers came to the overwhelming conclusion that trauma is "contagious". They furthermore concluded that there is a hiatus with regard to theological reflection in connection with the spiritual as well as the pastoral implications of this theme. Empirical research concluded that intergenerational distress can have a devastating and traumatic effect on the next generation. Unresolved trauma experienced by previous generations have the ability to wound the next generation, particularly the teenagers, on the physical, psychological, emotional and most of all on the spiritual level. Empirical research found that these wounds need a multidimensional approach and that Pastoral input is of utmost importance.
The practical-theoretical theory reconciles the conclusions drawn from the auxiliary science as well as the results from the empirical research with Biblical principals drawn from the basic-theoretical chapter. This guidelines together with pastoral care, can guide the teenager suffering from the negative affects of intergenerational trauma towards emotional healing. | |
