Might seem odd that I am posting this question here, but I cannot shake the feeling that the proof of this hypothesis will be found somewhere in the genome. I would like to start by stating upfront I have very limited understanding of genetics. I have ADN, so am certainly no where near a professional in understanding, but pray that my ignorance will not be any hindrance to this possibility being explored.
Sex no doubt is very important, a God given blessing that procreation depends upon. There are very wide ranging views pertaining to the topic of sex. Seems everything within nature, science is proving, follows specific laws and patterns that, if TRUE, hold true across the board, from the micro to the macro. I have 4 children, am divorced twice, an Addict, Veteran, RN, and faithful believer, though far from perfect I assure you. I lost custody to 3 of my 4 children through a series of events that started from sexual trauma that happened between my children. Not here to go into that, but this topic is definitely near and dear to my heart and very personal.
I cannot shake the feeling that the sexual trauma children experience is directly caused by the parents sexual transgressions. Parents who are married and faithful, to my knowledge, their children have NO sexual trauma. (I do not have the means to research this further, so this is something that I have just noticed in my experience with talking to people, very small scale.) There seems to be a very strong and direct correlation between the more sexual partners parents have, the more sexual trauma their children experience.
2 Samuel 13:1-22 documents the rape of Tamar by her half brother. Exodus 34:7 says “…the sins of the fathers (parents) will be put on the child to the 3rd and 4th generation…”
Statistics show that there is very high incidence of documented cases of rape/incest, with perpetrator usually a close family member.
I feel that there is even a mathematical formula, and that this proof is somewhere in our DNA, genome, genetics, not entirely sure on the differences in terminology. Wouldn’t surprise me one bit if the census of Israel documented in Numbers 1:1-34 isn’t some sort of "road map " in our genome.
I don’t have the resources, and definitely wouldn’t know where to even begin, but will hopefully be able to draw attention to this by those who could research this more. Reading the remarkable book by Dr. Collins The Language of God is what brought me here, and also brought to mind the possibility that maybe this holds true throughout all of the animal kingdom, since our genetics is so very similar.
Any input would be greatly appreciated. God bless
Welcome to the forum, Brandy777. It is an interesting question, just keep in mind that we are just random people on the internet, so you have to take everything said with a grain of salt.
Also, as a moderator, I feel obligated to tell you that we tend to avoid sexuality topics due the high emotions and nasty turn they sometimes take, so if the discussion goes that way, will turn this into a private message. However, it seems to be a legitimate question regarding the science of sexual abuse, so will let it remain at present.
My feeling is that sexual abuse is not primarily genetic, but rather is more environmental, but like most things in life, is multi-factorial. Perhaps the tendency is there, and the environment pushes the behavior in that direction.
And my personal feeling of Exodus 34:7 is that it more an observation rather than a curse placed on later generations. We can easily see that sin in our lives, whether sexual or criminal greatly affects our children and grandchildren, and its effect can linger a couple of more generations before the cultural memory and stigma is diluted and forgotten. Of course, the same can be true of genetics as well, as we can have little genetic overlap with our great great grandparents due to gene sorting and such.
I am not sure how you relate Numbers1 to a genetic road map, however. It seems a simple census, and to read into it something from our modern knowledge of genetics seems far fetched. Am I missing something here?
Finally, I know full well that there are many children who fall prey to sexual abuse whose parents are loving and faithful. In fact, it is unfortunate but truth that the trust good Christian parents place in the church and those in authority in leadership areas at times make the children vulnerable to sexual predators. We have to be diligent, alert, and accountable to protect the innocent.
Phil thank you for your reply and insight. Sexual trauma happened between my own children at the end of 2017, and the journey since has been indescribable. I have no idea if there is actual proof of this or not, just have a feeling that I have not been able to shake. I know that it seems a bit far fetched, and certainly not any correlation that I would have come to myself. I do know without any doubt, that if there is any truth in this possibility, that it will hold true, and facts and data will be found.
I know that this is an uncomfortable topic and definitely has the potential of flaring up emotions for various reasons. I completely understand if you need to shut it down due to tempers flaring, though hopefully that will not be the case. Thank you and God bless.
I find this difficult to understand.
Sexual trauma is the result of sexual assault.
Do I believe people commit sexual assault or other crimes because of the sexual history of their ancestors? No I do not. To be sure bad examples abound and whether in friends or media, the fact remains they have chosen the bad examples they immitate. It is possible that the lack of good examples in the success of healthy relationship might contribute to this. But I don’t think the role of their own choices is ever negated.
Thank you for your input Mitchell. I can understand your doubt, definitely sounds pretty far fetched. I cannot shake the feeling that there will be truth found in this, law of cause and effect holds true. Quote I love, thought it came from Herbert Spencer but Google says William Paley “There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance — that principle is contempt prior to investigation”. Thank God for research and science, and that inner drive of seeking truth.
welcome to the forum.
This is a tough topic that requires serious, dispassionate research based in obsevation and statistics, not a feeling you can’t shake.
I am a librarian, so, my first instinct is to send you to a research librarian, who can help you develop a beginning research strategy and direct you to reliable resources. Some people in the forum are physicians and may be able to direct you as well.
Medline Plus is a good initial place to start. It’s an knowledgebase develped for the public by the National Library of Medicine, through the NIH. I did a quick search with “child sexual trauma” and got this list of results: MedlinePlus - Search Results for: children sexual trauma .
PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) is another resource from the National Library of Medicine. It is geared toward professionals but is useful and available to the public. PubMed contains both full-text articles as well as citations to articles you will probably need a librarian to request for you, but that is absolutely possible in most areas of the United States.
As an individual, I would strongly discourage you from allowing your gut-feeling that you can’t shake to be your guide in understanding this serious matter. These kinds of matters require wisdom in the field and a great deal of care.
I wish you success in coming to a better understanding of the problem and finding solutions as well.
If you need help finding a library that can help you with research, you are welcome to PM me.