Inherited Wounds and Unpacking Generational Trauma in Adolescence on Netflix
- Brainz Magazine
- Apr 3
- 5 min read
Dr. LJ Rose is an international expert in mind dynamics, psychology, and alternative healing modalities. Author of eight self-help books, she is the founder of the Natural Wellness Academy, offering professional online coaching certification and one-on-one mentoring in niche wellness careers since 2013.
Spoiler alert if you haven’t seen this show, but please bookmark this article and come back to explore these psychological insights once you’ve watched the 4-episode series.
Intrigued by all of the international buzz around this groundbreaking Netflix limited series, I binge-streamed all four episodes. It was shocking, gritty, and thought-provoking.
The innovative style of shooting each episode with only one camera continuously following the action (pointed out to me by my director-producer husband), the powerfully written script, and the raw, superb acting made the series a compelling yet often difficult viewing experience.
Many viewers likely ask, "How can a child, barely into adolescence, commit such a heinous and violent crime? How does a seemingly loving and supportive family produce such a monster?"
My thought: Maybe rage and abuse, passed on from generation to generation (although often stifled and sublimated), played a major part in the violent outcome.
Scientific support for this theory
The concept that emotional trauma can be handed down from our parents in a similar way one inherits their eye color is not without scientific support. In a study by the University of Zurich, researchers discovered through experimentation on mice that not only can extreme and traumatic events change one’s psyche and behavior, but they can also impact their offspring, a generation or two later, through RNA strands.
As I described in an article on this subject that I wrote for the Huffington Post, generational trauma patterns can be depicted as a heavy chain of links, dragged (unconsciously) from one family line down to the next.
Medical and psychological professionals have concurred on the concept of intergenerational trauma, with 100 of them meeting in Boston in April 2023 to focus on how these wounds can affect brain physiology and cause innate anxiety and depression. Sandra Mattar, a clinical psychologist and specialist in trauma-informed therapy, noted that the high turnout at this event reflects heightened interest in the subject. According to Mattar, “I believe that trauma is at the core of so many mental health problems.”
Clues throughout Adolescence
Adolescence has many clues of generational trauma:
The mother, Manda, was estranged from her side of the family. What happened that was drastic enough to cause such a rupture? Manda seems to fit the role of the “enabler,” someone who always wants to keep the peace and is afraid of confrontation, fearful of expressing her true feelings.
The father, Eddie, had a perfunctory 50th birthday greeting from his father and stepmother, a card that included a small amount of cash “that would not even cover the cost of a pint.” His comment seemed dismissive, but one could see that he felt hurt, and this might be one of many slights he had endured over the years.
Eddie told Manda how his father beat him often and severely with a belt. As a consequence, he pledged that he would never do the same to his children.
Manda hinted at their son Jamie’s terrible temper. She commented on how “he learned it from his father.” Although Manda admitted that Eddie had never punished them physically, where did all the sublimated rage and resentment Eddie experienced from constant physical abuse go? Could emotional or physical abuse from her own estranged family have contributed to Manda’s inability to stand up to Eddie and Jamie’s temper outbursts?
Manda’s references to “Jenny” implied that they had undergone therapy since the tragedy (now at 13 months post-tragedy). Manda would remind Eddie of suggestions Jenny had made about better emotional transparency and communication. At each suggestion, Eddie would get defensive. Was having therapy and delving into feelings too “sissy-like” for his tough Liverpool upbringing?
As a 2G (second-generation survivor) myself, “generational trauma” made immediate sense. As a trained docent at the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, I facilitated dozens of tours with kids aged 10 through college.
Bullying behavior can also arise from inherited wounds
We address the concept of bullying at the museum as a sub-theme in our educational tours. The triangle motif throughout the museum symbolizes the three major players in the Holocaust: Perpetrators, Victims, and Bystanders (by far the largest group). We explain to the youth groups that it was the silence and inaction of bystanders that implicitly allowed the horrors to take place. We also emphasize that there is always someone they can report abuse and bullying to, even if they don’t feel strong enough to stand up to it themselves. It should be noted that abusive and bullying behavior can also be linked to acting out these “inherited wounds.”
No matter our family’s history, whether it be from the Holocaust, the potato famine in Ireland, the unspeakable terrors in the Middle East, or abuse (sexual, physical, emotional) trauma from generations of people who themselves experienced it, we are all suffering the legacy of these unresolved ordeals. These often lead to a woundedness that destroys our concept of self-worth and trust in relationships.
On an upbeat note, the older Miller child, Lisa, exhibits extraordinary attributes of resilience and family commitment, also inherited from her parents who underwent and survived abuse and neglect. The compassion and support she shows to her family and brother ("He will always belong to us") illustrate how these positive traits can also be handed down and nurtured in our offspring.
The more we learn about our own woundedness and move through the trauma with grace and forgiveness, the less of a generational burden we leave our children, and theirs.
At the Natural Wellness Academy, we address the effects of childhood and generational trauma in our online programs, such as Mind Dynamics Life Coach and Healing of the Wounded Child in our Spiritual Wellness Specialist. In-person hypnotic age regression, including the Hypno-Potential system I created and trained therapists in worldwide, will be taught later this year at our European campus. It’s a very powerful tool.
Read more from Dr. LJ Rose
Dr. LJ Rose, Therapist, Author, Professional Speaker
LindaJoy Rose, Ph.D., is the founder of the Natural Wellness Academy est. 2013 training mind/body/spirit wellness coaches in 40+ countries. The author of eight self-help books, including Your Mind: The Owner’s Manual, Dr. LJ is a pioneer in the worldwide training of hypnotherapy, subconscious dynamics, Jungian archetypes, and healthy lifestyle hacks.
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