Imagine that at birth an infant is given an angelic backpack to hold their life's pain and hurts.  For every good thing that happens to a child, a hurt is removed from their backpack.  Hopefully, more good things happen in a child's life than the bad so their burden is light.

As the child grows, the backpack stretches to accommodate the added burdens collected throughout their life.

Each apology or hug removes a hurt from their backpack. 

Then imagine, for the children born to violent families, just how many hurts are added to their backpack and how heavy it will become.  Children raised in violence don't hear apologies or receive comforting hugs..  Over time, the weight of unhealed trauma eventually bends their young back and curves their spine. Their head is forced down so the eyes are always pointed to the ground. They feel hopeless and helpless.

The weight of their childhood follows them for life, influencing everything they do or feel.  Adults have the option to open their backpack and start examining their history and throwing out all their old hurts.  It is called healing.