It is well known that massacres – or genocides – are one of the gravest crimes in the world. According to the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, genocide occurs as an act committed against a racial, religious, national, ethnic, or sociopolitical group with the intent of eradicating them as a whole or in part.
Genocides can manifest in various ways. Those named in our history books include the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, the Indian removal, and the ongoing massacre being committed in Gaza. Beyond the physical, territorial, and human rights damage genocide brings, it also has a significant impact on the mental status of individuals both targeted by it and witnessing it.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) consists of a wide range of symptoms including recurring flashbacks, social isolation, excessive anxiety, and increased irritability. PTSD now stands as one of the most researched effects of genocide. Approximately 25% of postgenocide Rwanda suffered from PTSD in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide.
Similarly, survivor’s guilt includes the same symptoms of PTSD, which proves that those witnessing a genocide but who are not targeted still suffer from similar mental impacts as those physically affected by it. Survivor’s guilt often eats away at an individual, causing them to consistently think that “They took my place; they stepped into my shoes and it should have been me”.
This mindset can be experienced for almost as long as the person lives, if left untreated. Survivor’s guilt often affects the individuals within the area of genocide, as well as those remote from it, when the genocide is broadcasted through television and social media.
It is not only the innocent who are targeted during a genocide who can suffer lifelong damage to their mental health, but also the individuals who witness and sympathise with them (it is important to note, however, that the psychological impact on the individuals directly exposed to the genocide is far greater).
Genocide often leads to displacement, from camps to the forced movement of a family to a new home within or outside the country or state of apartheid. This can lead to the separation of families and friends of innocent civilians, leading to separation trauma and separation anxiety.
Civilians are often unaware whether they will be able to reach safety with their families as a whole or whether they will have to be left behind, and this leads to nightmares, fear of sleeping alone, separation avoidance, constant panic, emotional temper tantrums, and nausea.
To make matters worse, these families often never find closure with their kin, so the separation is a consistently open wound throughout their lifetime and a prolonged emotional damage beyond one’s capabilities. It is also important to note that forms of communication are often cut off between civilians, so individuals are sometimes completely unaware of whether their separated family members are alive or not.
During traumatic experiences and separation of families, children often demonstrate extreme reactions, such as increased dependence, elevated aggression, anxiety beyond capability (sometimes beyond physical capability), aloofness, extensive crying, and symptoms of psychosomatic disorder.
Regarding long-term effects, children will experience extreme levels of PTSD and anxiety as they develop. They will show developmental struggles and will not be able to fully comprehend events, despite having a stronger sense of perspective. The sudden need for relocation can stunt the growth and development of a child.
When analysing or researching about a genocide, it is vital to consider its psychological effects. This not only provides a much larger scope for perspective, but provokes sympathy which will drive our humanity. Considering the circumstances of our crumbling world, we really do need it.