Are the Offspring Still Affected by their Mothers’ Genocidal Rape 28 Years Ago? : Thematic Analysis of Offspring Experience

BackgroundThere has been little attention paid by researchers on how the mothers’ rape trauma may still affect the offspring born of that rape even in adulthood. This study, therefore, aimed to assess the perceived effects of being born of genocidal rape among adult offspring conceived from the genocidal rape against the Tutsi in 1994. MethodsA purposive sample of 32 participants (16 dyads of mothers and their offspring) selected nationwide was considered for this qualitative study. In-depth individual interviews were conducted and audio-recorded with permission. Codebook thematic analysis was applied to analyse the transcribed verbatim inductively within the NVivo 12 software. ResultsThe primary themes emerging from participants’ accounts of the effects of rape trauma on the offspring included feeling controlled by mothers, being affected by the history of their mothers, family and social problems, a lack of personal growth, psychological problems, and self-stigma that emerged with several sub-themes.ConclusionThe results from this assessment indicate that genocidal rape affected not only the mothers but also the offspring born of this rape, who are severely affected by the rape history of their mothers and feel hatred and rejection from them. Our findings will assist the health professionals and other stakeholders working with the adult offspring born of the genocidal rape in designing and strengthening the intervention targeted at this population. Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2023;6(2):251-263