The effects of World War II trauma and cultural self-hate on German children whose parents lived through Nazi Germany / by Susan R. Latell.

This study investigated the effects of World War II trauma and cultural self-hate on adult-children of German heritage whose parents lived through Nazi Germany. The purpose of the research was to determining whether or not this group was suffering in similar ways to other traumatized groups. The conclusions drawn from the study were as follows. Parent who experienced war first hand are suffering from delayed grief or post-traumatic stress. The unresolved trauma is transmitted to the second generation through ineffective and/or cruel child-rearing practices, through denial and silent hostility, and through a sense of themselves as 'victims', necessitating that children take care of and undo parental pain. Second generation children of German WWII survivors are carrying the unresolved trauma of parents' past and manifesting symptoms of delayed grief. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)