ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors describe the case of "Colin", who suffered significant trauma of a non-sexual nature which occurred in the context of his primary attachment relationship. They present the case as seen through the particular lens of trauma, rather than with special reference to issues of gender. The authors aim to note the dynamic complexity involved in Colin's stereotypical cross-gender preoccupation. Colin's traumatization can be conceptualized as having two different components, one entailing the precipitous loss of the emotional availability of his primary caretaker and the other entailing physical confrontations. The case touches on the issue of the cross-generational transfer of trauma. When a child has experienced repetitive trauma in the context of a primary relationship, a common defensive strategy is to disavow the perception of the parent's toxic behaviour by denying its meaning and fleeing into a manic defence.
