本文概述了不断演变的创伤定义，包括不同形式的创伤及其对个人和社区的健康、行为和福祉的影响。具体来说，它讨论了集体、历史和代际创伤，以及这些概念在理解我们在殖民土著社区，尤其是澳大利亚土著社区中看到的健康和社会挑战方面的价值。文章认为，当前解决澳大利亚土著社区内挑战的方法将产生有限的影响，除非同时重点关注理解和解决渗透到这些社区的创伤程度。侧重于降低某些变量的比率的计划和举措，例如婴儿死亡率、监禁率或学业完成率非常重要，但除非解决潜在的创伤，否则只能治疗症状。由于多年强迫儿童搬迁造成的持续破坏，如果我们要打破家庭和文化混乱的循环，这对于儿童保护系统和社会工作领域内的健康、法律和福利从业人员来说尤其重要。 This article provides a summary of the evolving definition of trauma, including different forms of trauma and its impact on the health, behaviours and well-being of individuals and communities. Specifically, it discusses collective, historical and intergenerational trauma and the value of these concepts in understanding the health and social challenges we see within colonized Indigenous communities, particularly within Australian Aboriginal communities. The article argues that the current approach to addressing challenges within Australian Indigenous communities will have limited impact unless accompanied by a significant focus on understanding and addressing the level of trauma that permeates these communities. Programmes and initiatives that focus on reducing the rates of certain variables, such as rates of infant mortality, rates of incarceration or rates of school completion, are very important but are only treating symptoms unless the underlying trauma is addressed. Due to the ongoing devastation caused by many years of forced child removal, this is especially important for health, legal and welfare practitioners within the child protection system and the social work field if we are to break the cycles of family and cultural disruption.