Academic achievement among adolescents in Cambodia: Does caregiver trauma matter?

How will hostilities occurring around today's world influence future generations in affected areas? Cambodia may be one place where this question can be answered, and academic achievement is one way to measure these effects. Cambodian adolescent/caregiver dyads (n = 288) were examined for links between caregiver trauma history and adolescent academic achievement, using self reports of adolescents' relationships with caregivers, caregivers' reports of trauma history and symptoms (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire), and school records of adolescents' academic achievement. Fourteen percent of caregivers met criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Overall, caregiver trauma predicted caregiver education, which then predicted caregiver warmth, but not adolescents' academic achievement. Adolescents' academic achievement was predicted by caregivers' brain-related trauma, child gender, hours taking extra classes, and father's education. Implications for community health professionals are offered.