Journal of Student Research 2018

17 Examining the Lived Experiences of Individuals with Multiple Childhood Traumas Discussion The researcher identified several themes shared amongst the three participants. These include family dynamics in the household, types of abuse endured, forms of neglect experienced, parental alcohol abuse, and long-term mental/emotional effects. For example, each participant had experienced a parental separation in their household, inducing further stress on the family. Additionally, each participant’s mother drank heavily and was mentally/ emotionally distant much of their childhood. Identifying and analyzing these themes shows how certain factors in a household can contribute to individuals sharing similar experiences. Family dynamics can greatly affect an individual’s experience during childhood. Each of the three participants in the current study disclosed that their biological parents were separated during a portion of their childhood. Participant 1’s parents were together until she was roughly 12 years old. At this age she was able to understand and interpret the situation. Both Participants 2 and 3 were under the age of five when the separation occurred, which left them with minimal memories of the event. Participant 3’s biological father died when she was very young. She stated that her mother never had a serious partner, which meant she did not have a father figure in her life. Participants 1 and 2 both experienced a shift in the household dynamics when their parents started dating other people. They both lived with their mothers most of the time and stated that they didn’t like their stepfathers when they first came into the picture. They felt hostility towards this individual, whom they blamed for disrupting their family dynamics. Each of these participants said they visited their fathers regularly and maintained strong relationships with them. They noted that having their parents live in different households seemed to create a divide. They each put more blame on their mothers for the separation, which strained their maternal relationships. Each participant had at least one sibling that they felt was a support for them during their childhood. Participants 1 and 3 each had an older brother who was involved in criminal activity throughout their childhood. They said this created even more conflict in an already tense household. Family Dynamics

Types of Abuse

None of the participants endured physical or sexual abuse during their childhood. Participant 1 did witness her mother being aggressive toward her father at times. Participants 1 and 2 both experienced psychological abuse from their mothers. They were often put down by