Abstract
This chapter presents a practical guide to trauma-informed ethical decision-making in counseling and related professional practice. Our practical guide is situated within a detailed discussion of the constructs of historical and intergenerational trauma and related experiences of several cultural groups. The growing recognition of the ubiquitous nature of historical and intergenerational trauma experiences among historically minoritized groups requires that mental health professionals pay attention to not only individual manifestation of trauma, but also ethical and/or legal dilemmas that may arise in working with these individuals and communities. Yet, our review of codes of ethics of many mental health professional organizations indicates a lack of specific guidance on intergenerational or historical trauma. In addition, we note the existence of laws that may enhance or impede professional practice around intergenerational or historical trauma work. We present the case of Malia to illustrate potential ethical and legal minefields in intergenerational and historical trauma work, and ways to implement trauma-informed ethical decision-making in professional practice.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Age of Majority -AL Code § 26-1-1. (2018). https://law.justia.com/codes/alabama/2018/title-26/chapter-1/section-26-1-1/
American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA 2014 code of ethics. https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf
American Mental Health Counselors Association. (2020). AMHCA code of ethics. https://www.amhca.org/events/publications/ethics
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA ethical standards for School Counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf
Arnett, J. E., III, Frantell, K. A., Miles, J. R., & Fry, K. M. (2019). Anti-bisexual discrimination as insidious trauma and impacts on mental and physical health. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 6(4), 475–485. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000344
Balsam, K. F., & Mohr, J. J. (2007). Adaptation to sexual orientation stigma: A comparison of bisexual and lesbian/gay adults. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 54(3), 306–319. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.54.3.306
Barlow, J. N. (2018). Restoring optimal black mental health and reversing intergenerational trauma in an era of black lives matter. Biography, 41(4), 895–908. https://doi.org/10.1353/bio.2018.0084
Brave Heart, M. Y. H. (2003). The historical trauma response among Natives and its relationship with substance abuse: A Lakota illustration. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 35(1), 7–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2003.10399988
Brave Heart, M. Y. H., & DeBruyn, L. M. (1998). The American Indian holocaust: Healing historical unresolved grief. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, 8(2), 60–82. https://doi.org/10.5820/aian.0802.1998.60
Brave Heart, M. Y. H., Chase, J., Elkins, J., & Altschul, D. B. (2011). Historical trauma among Indigenous Peoples of the Americas: Concepts, research, and clinical considerations. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 43(4), 282–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2011.628913
Broussard, P. A. (2013). Black women’s post-slavery silence syndrome: A twenty-first century remnant of slavery, Jim Crow, and systemic racism – Who will tell her stories? Journal of Gender, Race & Justice, 373, 16.
Cai, J., & Lee, R. M. (2022). Intergenerational communication about historical trauma in Asian American families. Adversity and Resilience Science, 3, 233–245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42844-022-00064-y
Cerdeña, J. P., Rivera, L. M., & Spak, J. M. (2021). Intergenerational trauma in Latinxs: A scoping review. Social Science & Medicine, 270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soccimed.2020.113662
Criminal Procedures Definitions, AL Code § 15-20A-4. (2017). https://law.justia.com/codes/alabama/2017/title-15/chapter-20a/
Deer, S. (2017). Bystander no more: Improving the federal response to sexual violence in Indian country. Utah Law Review, 2017(4).
DeGruy, J. (2005). Post traumatic slave syndrome. Uptone Press.
Dobbs v. Jackson, 19-1932 US 597. (2022). https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf
Evans-Campbell, T. (2008). Historical trauma in American Indian/Native Alaska communities: A multilevel framework for exploring impacts on individuals, families, and communities. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 23(3), 316–338. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260507312290
Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258.
Felsen, I. (1998). Transgenerational transmission of effects of the Holocaust: The North American research perspective. In Y. Danieli (Ed.), International handbook of multigenerational legacies of trauma (pp. 43–68). Plenum Press.
Flores, A. R., Stotzer, R. L., Meyer, I. H., & Langton, L. L. (2022). Hate crimes against LGBT people: National crime victimization survey, 2017–2019. PLoS One, 17(2), e0279363. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279363
Franklin-Jackson, D., & Carter, R. T. (2007). The relationship between race-related stress, racial identity, and mental health for Black Americans. Journal of Black Psychology, 31(1), 5–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798406295092
Gipson, R. R., Jr. (2023). The interjurisdictional abortion wars have arrived. University of North Texas at Dallas Law Review on the Cusp. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4547113
Grayshield, L., Rutherford, J. J., Salazar, S. B., Mihecoby, A. L., & Luna, L. L. (2015). Understanding and healing historical trauma: The perspectives of Native American elders. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 37(4), 295–307.
Grills, C. T., Cooke, D., Douglas, J., Subica, A., Villanueva, S., & Hudson, B. (2016). Culture, racial socialization, and positive African American youth development. The Journal of Black Psychology, 42(4), 343–373. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798415578004
Guttmacher Institute. (2022). Abortion policies in Alabama. https://states.guttmacher.org/policies/alabama/abortion-policies
Hartmann, W. E., & Gone, J. P. (2014). American Indian historical trauma: Community perspectives from two Great Plains medicine men. American Journal of Community Psychology, 54, 274–288. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-014-9671-1
Helms, J. E., Nicolas, G., & Green, C. E. (2010). Racism and ethnoviolence as trauma: Enhancing professional training. Traumatology, 16(4), 53–62. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534765610389595
Holmes, J. (2022, September 9). Alabama Board of Education codifies “Don’t Say Gay” law. Retrieved June 29, 2023 from https://www.alreporter.com/2022/09/09/alabama-board-of-education-codifies-dont-say-gay-law/
Howie, H., Rijal, C. M., & Ressler, K. J. (2019). A review of epigenetic contributions to post traumatic stress disorder. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 21(4), 417–428. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2019.21.4/kressler
Kirmayer, L. J., Gone, J. P., & Moses, J. (2014). Rethinking historical trauma. Transcultural Psychiatry, 51(3), 299–319. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461514536358
Kitchener, K. S., & Anderson, S. K. (2011). Foundations of ethical practice, research, and teaching in psychology and counseling. Taylor & Francis Group.
Lambert, J. E., Holzer, J., & Hasbun, A. (2014). Association between parents’ PTSD severity and children’s psychological distress: A meta-analysis. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 27(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.21891
Larrieu, J., & Dickson, A. (2009). Reflective practice in infant mental health training and consultation. Infant Mental Health Journal, 30(6), 579–590.
Leen-Feldner, E. W., Feldner, M. T., Knapp, A., Bunaciu, L., Blumenthal, H., & Amstadter, A. B. (2013). Offspring psychological and biological correlates of parental posttraumatic stress: Review of the literature and research agenda. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(8), 1106–1133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.09.001
Mailloux, S. L. (2014). The ethical imperative: Special considerations in the trauma counseling process. Traumatology: An International Journal, 20(1), 50–56. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534765613496649
Main, M., & Hesse, E. (1990). Parents’ unresolved traumatic experiences are related to infant disorganized attachment status: Is frightened and/or frightening parental behavior the linking mechanism? In M. T. Greenberg, D. Cicchetti, & E. M. Cummings (Eds.), Attachment in the preschool years: Theory, research, and intervention (pp. 161–182). The University of Chicago Press.
Mandatory Reporting, AL Code § 26-14-3. (2006). https://law.justia.com/codes/alabama/2006/19865/26-14-3.html
McCann, A., & Johnston, T. (2022, March 3). Where abortion could be banned without Roe v. Wade. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/us/abortion-bans-restrictons-roe-v-wade.html
Meyer, I. H. (1995). Minority stress and mental health in gay men. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 36(1), 38–56. https://doi.org/10.2307/2137286
Molnar, B. E., Buka, S. L., & Kessler, R. C. (2001). Child sexual abuse and subsequent psychopathology: Results from the national comorbidity survey. American Journal of Public Health, 91(5), 753–760. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.91.5.753
Montgomery, E., Just-Ostergaard, E., & Jervelund, S. S. (2019). Transmitting trauma: A systematic review of the risk of child abuse perpetrated by parents exposed to trauma events. International Journal of Public Health, 64(2), 241–251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-018-1185-4
Nagata, D. K., Kim, J. H., & Nguyen, T. U. (2015). Processing cultural trauma: Intergenerational effects of the Japanese American incarceration. Journal of Social Issues, 71(2), 356–370. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12115
National Association for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC). (2021). NAADAC code of ethics. Retrieved from https://www.naadac.org/code-of-ethics
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). National Association of Social Workers code of ethics. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Niederland, W. G. (1968). Clinical observations on the “survivor syndrome”. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 49(2–3), 313–315.
O’Neill, L., Fraser, T., Kitchenham, A., & McDonald, V. (2018). Hidden burdens: A review of intergenerational, historical and complex trauma, implications for Indigenous families. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 11(2), 173–186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-016-0117-9
Plous, S. (2003). The psychology of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination: An overview. In S. Plous (Ed.), Understanding prejudice and discrimination (pp. 3–48). McGraw-Hill.
Rakoff, V. (1966). A long-term effect of the concentration camp experience. Viewpoints.
Rape Second Degree, AL Code § 13A-6-62. (1975). https://judicial.alabama.gov/docs/library/docs/13A-6-62(a)(1).pdf
Rauvola, R. S., Vega, D. M., & Lavigne, K. N. (2019). Compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and vicarious traumatization: A qualitative review and research agenda. Occupational Health Science, 3, 297–336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-019-00045-1
Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113. (1973). https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/410/113/
Scharf, M. (2007). Long-term effects of trauma: Psychosocial functioning of the second and third generation of Holocaust survivors. Development and Psychopathology, 19(02), 603–622. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579407070290
Sigal, J. J., Dinicola, V. F., & Buonvino, M. (1988). Grandchildren of survivors: Can negative effects of prolonged exposure to excessive stress be observed two generations later? The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 33(3), 207–212. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674378803300309
Sotero, M. M. (2006). A conceptual model of historical trauma: Implications for public health practice and research. Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, 1(1), 93–108.
Sowe, B. J., Taylor, A. J., & Brown, J. (2017). Religious anti-gay prejudice as a predictor of mental health, abuse, and substance use. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 87(6), 690–703. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000297
Stark, C., Tapia-Fuselier, J. L., & Bunch, K. (2022). The trauma-informed ethical decision-making model: An integrative framework. Journal of Trauma Studies in Education, 1(1), 108–125. https://doi.org/10.32674/jtse.v1i1.3678
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2014). SAMHSA’s concept of trauma and guidance for trauma-informed approach (HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4884). SAMHSA.
Sumerau, J. E., Cragun, R. T., & Mathers, L. A. B. (2016). Contemporary religion and the cisgendering of reality. Social Currents, 3(3), 293–311. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329496515604644
Trusty, J., Looby, E. J., & Sandhu, D. S. (2002). Multicultural counseling: Context, theory and practice, and competence. Nova Science Publishers.
Turecki, G., & Meaney, M. J. (2016). Effects of the social environment and stress on glucocorticoid receptor gene methylation: A systematic review. Biological Psychiatry, 79(2), 87–96.
When Minor May Give Consent Generally, AL Code § 22-8-4. (2023). https://law.justia.com/codes/alabama/2013/title-22/title-1/section-22-8-4
Whitbeck, L. B., Adams, G. W., Hoyt, D. R., & Chen, X. (2004). Conceptualizing and measuring historical trauma among American Indian people. American Journal of Community Psychology, 33(3–4), 119–130. https://doi.org/10.1023/b:ajcp.0000027000.77357.31
Yehuda, R., Halligan, S. L., & Bierer, L. M. (2001). Relationship of parental trauma exposure and PTSD to PTSD, depressive and anxiety disorders in offspring. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 35(5), 261–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3956(01)00032-2
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kiweewa, J.M., Perera, D., Izdebski, M., Marion, S. (2024). Intergenerational and Historical Trauma. In: Stark, C., Tapia Jr, J.L., Rogalla, K., Bunch, K. (eds) Professional's Guide to Trauma-informed Decision Making. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-54626-6_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-54626-6_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-54625-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-54626-6
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)