Childhood trauma can lead to an increase in elder abuse, according to new research.
While generational trauma is known to be passed down from parent to child, a study out of Japan has shown it can also reverberate upwards from parent to older generations.
Lead Author Assistant Professor Chie Koga, of University of Tokyo said the new research showed the connection between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as physical or emotional abuse, and an increased risk of people growing up to be abusive against older generations.
Dr Koga said a survey of more 13,000 people in Japan found that about half had one or more ACEs.
“Of these, 8.5 percent self-reported committing some form of physical or verbal abuse against people aged over 65,” he said.
He said an important contributing factor was the person’s mental and physical health, both of which are known to be affected by ACEs.
Dr Koga said by better understanding the causes of intergenerational violence, researchers hoped to develop guidelines and support to help people break the chain.
“Our study confirmed that people who had adverse childhood experiences, when aged zero to 18, had a higher risk of committing violence and verbal abuse against adults aged 65 and older,” he said.
“The study also showed that psychological factors were the most important contributor.”
Dr Koga said to offer a clearer view of the connection between ACEs and intergenerational violence, the effects of other variables were accounted for and excluded, notably: sex, age, educational attainment, family living together, employment status, marital status, equivalent income, self-rated health, depression, mental illness other than depression, alcohol consumption, and frequency of going out (at least once a month).
He said the risk of perpetuating elder abuse was over three times higher for people with one ACE and almost eight times higher for people with two or more ACEs, compared to those without.
