Intimate Partner Violence and Intergenerational Trauma Among Indigenous Women

Abstract

The establishment of the Indian Residential Schools by the Canadian federal government to assimilate indigenous peoples to European and Christian ideals has had generational repercussions on Canada’s indigenous peoples. Many emotional, physical, and sexual abuses occurred within these schools resulting in significant trauma within this population. In order to shed light on these impacts, indigenous women were interviewed about their experiences with these schools. Thematic network analysis was used to analyze the data, and a number of themes emerged, including identifying the relationships between residential schools, intergenerational trauma, and the normalization of intimate partner violence (IPV) in domestic relationships. The findings add to the existing discourse on IPV in indigenous populations and may be used to inform violence reduction strategies.

How Residential Schools led to Intergenerational Trauma in the Canadian Indigenous Population to Influence Parenting Styles and Family Structures over Generations

“…Despite the adverse effects on Indigenous survivors of residential schools in Canada, the majority of research shows that intergenerational trauma resonates in further Indigenous generations, not just those who survived the residential school system. We see evidence showing that intergenerational trauma is a crucial determinant of social problems such as low socioeconomic status (Bombay et al, 2014;Hoffart & Jones, 2018), health inequalities (Bombay et al, 2014;Hoffart & Jones, 2018;Menzies, 2008;Niccols et al, 2010;Roy, 2014), high rates of intimate partner violence (Hoffart & Jones, 2018), and substance and/or alcohol abuse (Hoffart & Jones, 2018;Niccols et al, 2010), as well as various others. Much of the research done surrounding Indigenous intergenerational trauma addresses how experiences of survivors at residential schools influenced their children and further generations.…”

“…Therefore, it is crucial to address the ways that the traumatic nature of residential schools negatively affects Indigenous individuals and the whole Indigenous community. Several scholars have identified health issues among the Indigenous population involve, but not are strictly: mental health (Bombay et al, 2014;Hoffart & Jones, 2018;Menzies, 2008), alcohol overconsumption and/or substance abuse (Hoffart & Jones, 2018;Niccols et al, 2010), and maternal health (Bombay et al, 2014;Niccols et al, 2010;Roy, 2014). Menzies (as cited in Hoffart & Jones, 2018) remarked that "the prevalence of persons with mental health problems is a significant concern in the [Indigenous] population, as many individuals and communities are struggling to deal with the historical and present-day traumas associated with colonization" (p. 28).…”

“…As mentioned earlier, residential school officials had abused Indigenous students, and many exposed survivors were negatively affected; therefore, their offspring were harmfully affected as well (Bombay et al, 2015, p. 326). Hoffart and Jones (2018) describe Indigenous intimate partner violence (IPV) as a result of "a combination of a high proportion of the [Indigenous] population suffering from mental health problems, economic distress, high rates of addiction, and a history of discrimination and marginalization [contributed] to higher rates of involvement with the justice system, including high rates of family violence" (p. 29). IPV is defined by Gosselin (cited in Hoffart & Jones, 2018) as "any form of physical, sexual, emotional, spiritual, and/or financial abuse exerted over the other to demonstrate power, control, and dominance" (p. 29).…”

“…Hoffart and Jones (2018) describe Indigenous intimate partner violence (IPV) as a result of "a combination of a high proportion of the [Indigenous] population suffering from mental health problems, economic distress, high rates of addiction, and a history of discrimination and marginalization [contributed] to higher rates of involvement with the justice system, including high rates of family violence" (p. 29). IPV is defined by Gosselin (cited in Hoffart & Jones, 2018) as "any form of physical, sexual, emotional, spiritual, and/or financial abuse exerted over the other to demonstrate power, control, and dominance" (p. 29). It is important to note that social stigma may be attached to a victim of IPV; therefore, Indigenous individuals may not report abuse (Hoffart & Jones, 2018, p. 29).…”

“…Another term that needs to be defined is before continuing is intergenerational trauma. Hoffart and Jones (2018) defined intergenerational trauma as "the effect of a previous unresolved trauma passed on to subsequent generations of an individual's family, community, and culture" (p. 27).…”