An investigation into the phenomena and practices of spiritual ...

in the account of a young mother in the next section.6.9 Breaking the Generational Cycle of SufferingHickey (2000) suggests that if a person grows up in a home where parents wereemotionally unhealthy it is more likely that the child will fall in the same emotional trapswhen they become parents. The possible outcomes of unhealthy emotions are alienationsevere depression and nervous breakdown; and the beginning of healing of unhealthyemotions is forgiveness. In my observation notes there is the following example:.A young mother in (URC) told the researcher her story of how she had been sexuallyassaulted by her father for many years. There was an investigation, but he was notprosecuted because there was not enough evidence. The father did not believe that he haddone anything wrong.She now has two children of her own and is expecting a third child. The father of herchildren recently left her and the family home for another woman. Her father had noaccess to her children (his grand children). She said ‗I will not allow my father to see mychildren unsupervised.‘ Although this caused her some concern she had resigned herselfthat this was for the best, but if the children wanted to see their grandfather when theywere old enough to look after themselves she would not object. She felt that she had aresponsibility to teach the children that if someone touched them inappropriately theywould have the courage to tell her or another adult. She was adamant that she did notwant her children to go through the same experience as she and her twin sister. Both girls222