Background: Thus far, most researchers on genocide and transgenerational transmissions
have focused on the National Socialist Holocaust as the most abhorrent example of this severe human
rights violation. Few data have been published on other ethnic or religious groups affected by genocidal actions in this context. Methodology: Using a mixed-method approach integrating qualitative
interviews with standardized instruments (SCID and PDS), this study examines how individual and
collective trauma have been handed down across three generations in an Alevi Kurd community
whose members (have) suffered genocidal perpetrations over a longer time period (a “genocidal
environment”). Qualitative, open-ended interviews with members of three generations answering
questions yielded information on (a) how their lives are shaped by the genocidal experiences from the
previous generation and related victim experiences, (b) how the genocidal events were communicated
in family narratives, and (c) coping strategies used. The first generation is the generation which
directly suffered the genocidal actions. The second generation consists of children of those parents
who survived the genocidal actions. Together with their family (children, partner, relatives), this
generation suffered forced displacement. Members of the third generation were born in the diaspora
where they also grew up. Results: Participants reported traumatic memories, presented in examples
in this publication. The most severe traumatic memories included the Dersim massacre in 1937–1938
in Turkey, with 70,000–80,000 victims killed, and the enforced resettlement in western Turkey. A
content analysis revealed that the transgenerational transmission of trauma continued across three
generations. SCID and PDS data indicated high rates of distress in all generations. Conclusions:
Genocidal environments such as that of the Kurdish Alevis lead to transgenerational transmission
mediated by complex factors