Why Inter-generational Trauma?

A review of current evidence has shown the need to explore whether and how trauma has been defined so that it accounts for the experience of racism and inequality (both structural and direct) as well as intergenerational transmission and its effects on children of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage.

The Project

Lead by The Race Equality Foundation, the project sets out three work packages that will contribute to a more robust understanding of the role of trauma in the lives of African, Asian and Caribbean families. In collecting and collating evidence on interventions that have either been specifically developed to work with African, Asian and Caribbean children young people and families or have been shown to impact this cohort, the aim is to better understand what works in promoting resilience and recovery, as well as subverting the chains of transmission of racial trauma from one generation to the next. The project will provide evidence and guidance on the development of trauma informed practice that is effective and does not further pathologise African, Asian and Caribbean children, young people and families. 

Implementation

The first phase will form a scoping review of (British) evidence on African, Asian and Caribbean children, young people and families experience of:

• Trauma and inter-generational trauma,
• A collation of national and international evidence on the experience of racism as trauma,
• A survey of trauma informed practice and how it accounts for the experience of racism 

The second phase will draw on the evidence reviews from phase one to develop a Theory of Change as well as a framework for assessing both promising interventions as well as those with robust evidence of effectiveness.  It will deliver interventions that have been shown to successfully engage African, Asian and Caribbean children, young people and families. Piloting of interventions will be deployed via the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities programme (SFSC). 

Phase three will build on the Centre’s approach to systemic change by disseminating the evidence and embed stronger practice through the development training programmes targeted at frontline practitioners, strategic leads and their organisations. Starting the cycle of socialising, skilling up and sustaining the change that is needed.