Secondary Trauma

Vicarious Trauma

Secondary trauma symptoms have been found in individuals who live with a traumatized family member, were raised by parents who were traumatized, or grew up with parents who were traumatized war veterans. Children of Holocaust survivors have been shown to acquire secondary trauma symptoms via intergenerational transmission; that is, the emotional and behavioral symptoms exhibited by family member(s) of one generation have been found to pass on to those of the next generation. Individuals in relationships with traumatized persons are also likely to acquire trauma reactions. It was found that when one partner reported a history of childhood physical or sexual abuse, the other partner reported significant symptoms of psychological distress. Research thus suggests that being in a family with someone who has been traumatized puts one at risk of developing vicarious trauma.

There are two hypotheses as to how exposure to a traumatized family member leads a person to acquire [Page 850]and experience vicarious trauma. The first suggests that the emotional bond between family members is the avenue through which the traumatized person's symptoms are transmitted to others in the family. Underlying a caring relationship is sympathy and empathy. Empathy is similar to sympathy, but goes beyond sympathy in that empathy involves vicariously experiencing the thoughts, feelings, and experience of another. It is not surprising that individuals are vulnerable to acquiring and experiencing vicarious trauma from a family member, since being in the same family implies close and regular contact. In addition, family systems are usually one of the primary social support networks that individuals turn to for support and caring in times of difficulties and distress. Family members are likely to want to know what happened during the traumatic incident, how the traumatized person has been negatively affected, and what behavioral and emotional symptoms have developed. By virtue of being emotionally connected, a family member may feel the pain of the traumatized person to the extent of experiencing similar trauma symptoms.

...