Trauma inflicted by genocide: Experiences of the Rwandan Diaspora in Finland

Banyanga, Jean d’Amour; Björkqvist, Kaj; Österman, Karin

doi:10.1080/23311908.2017.1333244

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…This has also been recommended by other researchers, specifically for children born of rape (e.g. Banyanga, 2017;Denov, 2015;Eramian and Denov, 2018;Hogwood, 2014Hogwood, , 2017. Such support, if comprehensive, can to reduce the descendants' vulnerability and enable them to better cope with their identity and the other problems highlighted in this article.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 85%

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“We are the memory representation of our parents”: Intergenerational legacies of genocide among descendants of rape survivors in Rwanda

Kagoyire

Richters

2018

Torture

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Introduction: The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda subjected thousands of women to rape as part of a range of other genocidal atrocities. This article explores what it means in everyday life to be a descendant of such mothers. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in eastern Rwanda. The twelve respondents, all descendants of genocide-rape survivor mothers, participated in focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. Topics focused on different aspects of the intergenerational transmission of trauma and the mitigation of this transmission by the psychosocial support from which their mothers benefited. The phenomenological method as developed by Giorgi (2012) was used to analyze the transcripts. Findings: All respondents, regardless of their birth circumstances, are marked by growing up with a severely traumatized mother. Children conceived during rape are specifically marked by the absence of a perpetrator father unknown to them, the others by the lack of many (extended) family members. They all benefited from the psychosocial support provided to their mothers. Discussion: Genocidal rape causes specific kinds of suffering and specific identity problems for the children born as a consequence of genocide-rape. However, even if the children were not conceived during the rape, their level of suffering is similar. Conclusion: The effects of the intergenerational transmission of trauma related to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda should be recognized among all youth deeply affected by it. Appropriate policies and programs should be designed and implemented to moderate the effects and strengthen resilience to ensure a peaceful future on an individual, interpersonal, and inter-relational community levels.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…Mukangendo, 2007) and articles (e.g. Banyanga et al, 2017, Denov et al, 2017Eramian & Denov 2018, Hogwood et al, 2014Hogwood et al, 2017, Katengwa 2014Nikuze 2013.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“We are the memory representation of our parents”: Intergenerational legacies of genocide among descendants of rape survivors in Rwanda

Kagoyire

Richters

2018

Torture

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“…Banyanga et al. (2017) reported a higher use of alcohol as a coping mechanism among Rwandans born of genocidal rape currently living outside Rwanda, compared to their peers.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, the metaphor of “warrior” was used by adolescents from Bosnia and Herzegovina to describe new and preferred identities as agents of reconciliation and peace (Erjavec & Volčič, 2010b). Some young people considered the possibility of reconciliation with their fathers as well as the reconciliation between victims’ and perpetrators’ communities (Banyanga et al., 2017; Erjavec & Volčič, 2010b; Zamperini et al., 2017). Some participants did not describe being mistreated or abused by their mothers (Denov et al., 2017; Erjavec & Volčič, 2010b).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research among children born of genocidal rape is still at an early stage, and most published studies use a qualitative approach. We only identified one study that use a quantitative approach (Banyanga et al., 2017). Therefore, we conducted an integrative review so that we could present a comprehensive perspective on the experiences and needs of individuals conceived via genocidal rape (Whittemore & Knafl, 2005).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Children born of genocidal rape: What do we know about their experiences and needs?

Uwizeye

DeVon

McCreary

et al. 2021

Public Health Nursing

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Background An often under addressed and tragic legacy of genocide is the conception of children from rape. While the experience has been documented from their mothers' perspective, the perspectives and needs of individuals born of genocidal rape has been under‐studied. Methods We conducted an integrative review of all peer‐reviewed articles that reported on studies conducted among individuals born of genocidal rape published through 2020. We used an inductive process to identify and describe the themes from those studies. Results Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. Ten articles reported on youth born of genocidal rape in Rwanda aged between 16 and 21 years, and two articles represented the perspective of adolescents in the former Yugoslavia aged 1416 years. Four themes were indentified: (1) birth origin stories associated with the crime of the father, (2) fractured sense of belonging to the victim‐mother, perpetrator‐father, their families, and the community at large, (3) intergenerational legacy of trauma and family identity, and (4) strategies to move forward including knowing the truth about one's origin, mental health, and peer support. Conclusion These findings suggest that understanding increased risk of adverse health outcomes of youth born of genocidal rape could inform the design of evidence‐based interventions for these and similar populations.

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A Community-Based Mental Health Intervention: Promoting Mental Health Services in Rwanda

Mukamana¹,

Levers²,

Johns³

et al. 2021

Innovations in Global Mental Health

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Trauma inflicted by genocide: Experiences of the Rwandan Diaspora in Finland

Cited by 15 publications

References 8 publications

“We are the memory representation of our parents”: Intergenerational legacies of genocide among descendants of rape survivors in Rwanda

“We are the memory representation of our parents”: Intergenerational legacies of genocide among descendants of rape survivors in Rwanda

Children born of genocidal rape: What do we know about their experiences and needs?

A Community-Based Mental Health Intervention: Promoting Mental Health Services in Rwanda

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