When looking at the traumagenic family dynamics related to the generation of traumagenic family dynamics, one would notice a continuum of family dynamics.  Perhaps the simplest or less in magnitude would be those behaviors that a caregiver or parent may demonstrate with a small child for example:

• A baby cries and no one responds or offers comfort.
• A baby is hungry or wet, and they aren’t attended to for hours.
• No one looks at, talks to, or smiles at the baby or young child for long periods of time.
• A young child gets attention only by acting out or displaying other extreme behaviors.
• A young child or baby is mistreated or abused.
• Sometimes the child’s needs are met and sometimes they aren’t. The child never knows what to expect and has little predictability.
• The infant or young child is separated from his or her parents.
• A baby or young child is moved from one caregiver to another (can be the result of adoption, foster care, or the loss of a parent).
• The parent is emotionally unavailable because of depression, an illness, or a substance abuse problem.

These behaviors on the part of the caregiver instruct the child that they must control the environment to have safety, security and predictability. These attributes are also seen as being related to other problems such as attachment disorders. Attachment is about the degree that one feels emotional connected to others, and the predictable nature of that connection.  When attachment is inconsistent or poor the predictable nature of the emotional connection is vague and ill-formed.  This appreciably reduces trust and the calm expectation of support that human beings rely on to feel a part of a community or family.  This triggers a drive to control, manipulate and act aggressively to have some secure expectedness which leads to predatory behaviors.

While having one’s expectation or desire for security, safety, stability, nurturance, empathy, acceptance, and respect may not be met in a predictable manner, this is just one contributing cause to predatory rage and anger.  When the family environment creates feelings of abandonment and repeated instability, low levels of reliability and trust, emotional deprivation accompanied by feelings of individual defectiveness and shame then it is more likely to see predatory rage and anger emerge and as an instrument to achieve those missing elements.

Are you living in a hostile, predatory environment? Are there elements of this story that can relate to, either directly or as a direct result of your relationship with a loved one?