"Family secrets often remain hidden through the generations out of shame or fear of judgment. Family secrets are common, and often revolve around sensitive issues like infidelity, crime, mental health struggles, or abuse. One study found that family secrets often serve as a portal to unveil deeper patterns of family relationships and communication patterns, including unresolved conflicts and tensions (Camilleri & Scerri, 2025)."
"When secrets are concealed, intergenerational shame can be passed down from one generation to the next, contributing to behavioral patterns, attitudes, and beliefs that are unknowingly shaped by the family's secret. There is still much to learn through empirical research about the systemic mechanisms that drive the intergenerational transmission of dysfunction (Čepukienė & Neophytou, 2024), and how hidden truths are lived out in future generations."
Family secrets commonly center on infidelity, crime, mental health struggles, and abuse and often remain hidden through shame or fear of judgment. Such secrets can unveil deeper patterns of family relationships, communication problems, unresolved conflicts, and systemic dysfunction. Concealed secrets can transmit intergenerational shame, shaping behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs across generations. Empirical research still needs to clarify the systemic mechanisms that drive intergenerational transmission of dysfunction and to document how hidden truths are lived out by later generations. Uncovering family secrets can create pathways to acknowledge harm and support healing across time.
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