Escaping Saddam: Analysing Intergenerational Trauma Transmission Through
Berckmoes' Lens
Kanaya Dyara Taqiiya
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
2763481
Maartje Weerdesteijn
Group 3
Political Violence and the Human Condition
25 October 2024
Words: 1462
, ESCAPING SADDAM 2
Escaping Saddam: Analysing Intergenerational Trauma Transmission Through
Berckmoes' Lens
Intergenerational trauma refers to the transfer of trauma across generations
(Berckmoes, 2022). The impact of intergenerational trauma, particularly within families
affected by war and forced displacement, continues to shape the psychological and emotional
landscapes of survivors and their descendants. The inability to heal from past trauma often
perpetuates a cycle of suffering, leaving descendants to bear the weight of their ancestors’
unresolved pain.
Wiam and his family’s experience of fleeing Iraq reflects the weight of inherited
trauma. This analysis will refer to three of Berckmoes' categories of mechanisms of
intergenerational trauma transmission, and in what ways they apply to Wiam’s family's
experience of trauma. This analysis will investigate the psychological, familial and societal
mechanisms of trauma transmission, to provide insights into how these dynamics shape their
family relationships, experiences and coping strategies. The biological mechanism is
excluded due to insufficient information in the documentary. Ultimately, this report seeks to
illuminate the complexities of trauma within Wiam’s family, highlighting how they navigate
their inherited pain.
Firstly, psychological mechanisms of intergenerational trauma transmission hinge
upon the idea of attachment theory, highlighting the crucial role of parents’ mental health in
shaping the emotional development of children (Berckmoes, 2022). In Wiam’s family, the
unresolved trauma of his father, Dudu, greatly affected the attachment system and the
emotional relationships within the family. Dudu’s mental state, encompassing his traumatic
experiences of fleeing Iraq, significantly affected his ability to provide emotional stability for
his children. Attachment theory highlights how children need emotionally available
caregivers to form secure attachments (Bretherton, 1992). However, Dudu’s physical and
Berckmoes' Lens
Kanaya Dyara Taqiiya
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
2763481
Maartje Weerdesteijn
Group 3
Political Violence and the Human Condition
25 October 2024
Words: 1462
, ESCAPING SADDAM 2
Escaping Saddam: Analysing Intergenerational Trauma Transmission Through
Berckmoes' Lens
Intergenerational trauma refers to the transfer of trauma across generations
(Berckmoes, 2022). The impact of intergenerational trauma, particularly within families
affected by war and forced displacement, continues to shape the psychological and emotional
landscapes of survivors and their descendants. The inability to heal from past trauma often
perpetuates a cycle of suffering, leaving descendants to bear the weight of their ancestors’
unresolved pain.
Wiam and his family’s experience of fleeing Iraq reflects the weight of inherited
trauma. This analysis will refer to three of Berckmoes' categories of mechanisms of
intergenerational trauma transmission, and in what ways they apply to Wiam’s family's
experience of trauma. This analysis will investigate the psychological, familial and societal
mechanisms of trauma transmission, to provide insights into how these dynamics shape their
family relationships, experiences and coping strategies. The biological mechanism is
excluded due to insufficient information in the documentary. Ultimately, this report seeks to
illuminate the complexities of trauma within Wiam’s family, highlighting how they navigate
their inherited pain.
Firstly, psychological mechanisms of intergenerational trauma transmission hinge
upon the idea of attachment theory, highlighting the crucial role of parents’ mental health in
shaping the emotional development of children (Berckmoes, 2022). In Wiam’s family, the
unresolved trauma of his father, Dudu, greatly affected the attachment system and the
emotional relationships within the family. Dudu’s mental state, encompassing his traumatic
experiences of fleeing Iraq, significantly affected his ability to provide emotional stability for
his children. Attachment theory highlights how children need emotionally available
caregivers to form secure attachments (Bretherton, 1992). However, Dudu’s physical and
