Investigating the Intergenerational Impact of Trauma on the Survivors of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi on Social Cognition

The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda was one of the most devastating atrocities of the 20th century, resulting in the loss of over a million lives within 100 days and leaving survivors with deep psychological, social, and economic scars (Pham et al., 2004; World Bank, 2009). Decades later, the psychological effects remain profound, with survivors continuing to experience high rates of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and social isolation (Kayiteshonga et al., 2022; Mukamana & Brysiewicz, 2008). The prolonged, repeated, and inescapable nature of the trauma including witnessing mass killings, sexual violence, and losing loved ones aligns closely with the diagnostic profile of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), characterized by emotional dysregulation, negative self-concept, and interpersonal difficulties ( Mukashema & Mullet, 2013). This study explores how trauma experienced by one generation particularly large-scale, collective trauma such as the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi affects the social cognitive abilities of their descendants. Social cognition refers to the mental processes that underlie how we perceive, interpret, and respond to social information, including skills such as emotion recognition, theory of mind (understanding others’ perspectives), empathy, and social decision-making. Trauma exposure has been linked to alterations in brain structures central to social cognition, including the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and temporoparietal junction (Cusi et al., 2012). Individuals with PTSD and C-PTSD often exhibit difficulties in interpreting others’ perspectives, recognizing emotions, and responding empathetically (Mazefsky & White 2014; Sharp et al., 2012). While much of this research has been conducted in Western contexts, little is known about how these processes manifest intergenerationally in African post-conflict societies. Rwanda offers a compelling and critical setting for such investigation, as genocide-related trauma continues to shape social and familial relationships decades later. This study investigates how C-PTSD severity and intergenerational trauma shape neurocognitive outcomes among genocide survivors and their descendants, compared to returnees who were not directly exposed to the genocide. The primary aim is to determine whether descendants of individuals who experienced severe trauma exhibit measurable differences in social cognitive functioning compared to those without such histories.