"Intergenerational abuse " is not someone's imagination and it is not passed strictly by oral means. Modern studies have shown severe trauma can alter the dna which inturn alters your behaivours, predisposing you to mental illness, poor impulse control(due to elevated panic hormones), suicide, and depression. This was found to be GENETICALY passed even when survivor's kids were adopted out or the living circumstances changed dramatically to a safer environment. It was first documented among the Jews who escaped the Camps and came to the U.S to live. Despite the improved living conditions and some being adopted out, the dna of children and grandchildren showed a statistically higher amount of those mentioned disorders. And the Jews only faced 4 years of intense trauma. Natives have faced several hundred years of being beaten down and abused. You don't get over it that fast.