Transgenerational trauma and childhood adversity among children of war veterans in Zimbabwe
Nakayi Mashavira, Sharon Sibanda & Jacqueline Moodley
Abstract
War leaves lasting scars on veterans and their children, who often inherit unresolved trauma across generations. In Zimbabwe, the 1966–1979 Liberation War has had an enduring psychological impact on the lives of children of war veterans (CWVs), yet their experiences remain underexplored. This study examined childhood adversity and trauma transmission among adult CWVs in Hurungwe District, filling a gap in African-focused research on CWVs’ lived experiences. Semi-structured interviews with seven participants aged 19–38 were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: adverse experiences, silence, distress, and transgenerational influence. The findings show that CWVs’ emotional and psychological experiences are shaped by parental trauma within familial, cultural, and structural contexts. Participants also drew on resilience and restorative cultural practices to navigate these challenges. Trauma is transmitted through childhood adversity, silence, and socio-cultural expectations, while resilience mitigates its effects. Findings underscore the need for interventions that combine psychosocial support with culturally grounded resilience strategies. This study contributes context-specific insights into transgenerational trauma among CWVs in Zimbabwe, extending TT scholarship beyond Western frameworks.
Keywords
children of war veterans, childhood adversity, culture, resilience, transgenerational trauma, Zimbabwe
Author information & Contribution
Nakayi Mashavira. Corresponding author. Masters in Community Psychology, PhD Candidate, University of Johannesburg. Email: nakaimash@gmail.com
Sharon Sibanda. PhD in Psychology, Lecturer, University of Johannesburg. Email: ssibanda@uj.ac.za
Jacqueline Moodley. DLitt et Phil, Lecturer, University of Johannesburg. Email: jmoodley@uj.ac.za
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Funding
This work was supported by the University of Johannesburg Research Committee.
Institutional Review Board Statement
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines set by the Faculty of Humanities Research Ethics Committee, University of Johannesburg (REC-01-019-2022), and the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ/A/2901).
AI Declaration
The author acknowledges the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in preparing this paper, specifically Grammarly for spelling and grammar support. The author takes full responsibility for ensuring proper review and editing of content generated using AI.
Notes
Acknowledgement
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Cite this article:
Mashavira, N., Sibanda, S. & Moodley, J. (2026). Transgenerational trauma and childhood adversity among children of war veterans in Zimbabwe. International Review of Social Sciences Research, 6(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.53378/irssr.353304
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