Influence of the Holocaust on the parent-child relationship : a qualitative study of children of Holocaust survivors / by Amy Lang

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine how experiencing the Holocaust influenced the relationship between the survivor and her/his children and what influence that relationship had on the second generation and their future relationship with their own child. Qualitative methods were used to interview 16 second-generation survivors who also had children of their own. Analysis of the data revealed that the 2nd generation individuals presented with insecure-ambivalent attachment but that in most cases this resulted in a drive to succeed in order to please the parent. There was a presence of specific Holocaust attributes, such as guilt and enmeshment, among the participants but it was not great enough to generalize to the entire sample. In fact almost all participants described positive aspects of their relationships and only a few clearly stated negative aspects regarding the relationships. A sense of being loved by the survivor parent, as well as parent presence contributed to the positive relationships experienced between the 2nd generation and their children. Results suggest that understanding the role communication plays in positive outcomes of offspring, is essential for understanding how to best work with this and similar populations.