Community Psychology: Chapter Twenty-Three

Question 1

What is the purpose of using intergenerational trauma as a framework to contextualise current community trauma within our history?

Answer 1

• helps to reduce the stigmatising effects of being labelled a violent or traumatised community
  -helps to promote ways of healing communities that are cognisant of our historical context

Question 2

Social challenges which are often thought of as isolated problems are what?

Answer 2

• gender-based violence
• absent fathers
• child abuse
• gang violence
• human trafficking
• substnace use
• taxi wars
• high dropout rates at school & teenage pregnancy
• xenophobia
• food insecurity

Question 3

What are the tree types of trauma?

Answer 3

Type 1
This type of trauma involves single, isolated events that are unexpected, overwhelming, and potentially life-threatening. These incidents are often viewed as out-of-the-ordinary events that may or may not happen again, leading to acute distress. Type 1 trauma is commonly associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Example: Natural disasters, car accident

Type 2
Type 2 trauma, often called complex trauma or continuous traumatic stress, involves chronic, prolonged exposure to trauma. This type arises from ongoing threats or dangers, often starting in childhood or spanning long periods. The cumulative effects can lead to severe impacts on emotional, psychological, and social development.

Continuous traumatic stress impacts the nervous system deeply, often leading to hypervigilance, emotional dysregulation, and difficulties in relationships. It creates a survival-based adaptation in response to chronic threat.
example: child abuse, prolonged sexual abuse, domestic violence or being held captive

Type 3
Type 3 trauma, also known as historical or intergenerational trauma, occurs when trauma impacts entire communities or groups, with the effects passing down through generations. This type of trauma arises from large-scale, collective experiences like oppression, genocide, slavery, or colonization, leaving a persistent impact on cultural identity, family structures, and individual identities.
example: colonialism, slavery, apartheid

Question 4

intergenerational community trauma begins with a significant historical collective trauma which involves what?

Answer 4

a) external violent, political control of invade land and over indigenous people.

b) physical and sexual violence and death

c) the eradication of local people’s knowledge, beliefs, culture and identity

d) the assimilation of the dominant group’s beliefs and practices

Question 5

Atkinson explored the patterns of historical trauma over six generations of the Australian Aboriginal people and found what after each generation?

Answer 5

1. first generation: after the violence and enslavement of colonisation subsequent generations carrying intergeneration trauma suffered from low self-esteem
2. second generation: an increase in alcohol and drug abuse
3. Thid Gen: Cumulative trauma intensified the disconnection in the home, leading to domestic violence
4. Fourth Gen: physical sexual, and verbal child abuse and unhealthy or absent family relationships were more evident
5. fifth Gen: violence then begets violence as trauma started to be re-enacted in relationships and in the community
6. Sixth Gen: generation displays increased fear and suspicion where the children of the oppressor start to fear the children of the oppressed

Question 6

what are a few ranges of survival-mode, threat-related behaviours?

Answer 6

• aggression
• anxiety
• hyperarousal
• impulsivity
  problems with memory leading to inattention and learning problems
• emotional dysregulation and a failure to develop meaningful healthy relationships

Question 7

Forms of violence which occur as part of this syndrome intensity and include much of what our society experiences toady include what?

Answer 7

• violence between men
• violence between women
• child abuse
  -gang rape
• infant rape
• rape and abuse of the elderly
• suicide
• other forms of gender-based violence

Question 8

The trauma-informed approach is a lens through which behaviour and responses are understood. what does this lens require?

Answer 8

1. realise the extend of trauma
   there is an acknowledgement that trauma affect multiple systems in very complex ways. this perspective takes out historical, social and economic context into consideration.
2. Recognise the effects of trauma
   and develop a deeper understanding of the biological developmental, and systemic effects of trauma
3. respond with a sensitivity and awareness to how people adapt in situations of trauma
   the trauma-informed approach accepts that trauma affects people in different ways and therefore there are many ways to facilitate healing.
4. resist re-traumatisation
   which means that as practitioners and community workers, we need to be able to recognise trauma in ourselves. self-awareness and self-care have to become a priority so that we do not re-traumatise those whom we intended to support or serve.

Question 9

What are the steps to neuro-sequential bottom-up brain intervention approach?

Answer 9

1. restore: self-regulation and safety by creating personal and environmental safety
2. reconnect: emotional development & developing positive relationships and connection
3. Rebuild: building new patterns of resilience and healing