Introduction
Genocide is where humans deliberately practice killings whether on the basis of race, tribe religion or nationality. This can be either done entirely to a group or in part. Though still debatable, the definition can involve acts such as killing inflicting physical or mental harm, prevention of births or even kidnapping with an aim of destroying the future of a group. The term was born in 1944 by combining two words; geno-, a Greek word meaning tribe and -cide a Latin word meaning killing. Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish lawyer, wanted to explain destructive, violent acts against European Jews. Prior to the genocide, Rwanda was comprised of 85% Hutu, 14%Tutsi and 1% Twa. Rwandan genocide arose after the death the then president, a Hutu (Tilman & Kati, 293). This was blamed on the Tutsi resulting to a plan of eliminating them. Needless to say, violence against humans affects the society negatively in many different ways. Let’s us examine some of the negative effects that were brought about by the Rwandan Genocide.
Discussion
Psychological problems are one of the main effects of violence. In the case of Rwanda, survivors witnessed murders perpetrated by people they knew. The people experienced a threat to their lives, which resulted to them fleeing for safety. They experienced their houses and property being destroyed. A report to assess the psychological effects of Rwandan genocide on children revealed that such children felt their lives threatened (Atle,et al,5). A high percentage of the children witnessed murders by actually seeing someone being killed and sometimes a close relative. Some witnessed massacre and the destruction of their family property. The lives of the children were threatened by militia groups. The children experienced people screaming in distress, some used dead bodies to hide coupled by the images of their fallen family members.
Post-genocide effects
The study revealed that the children still had the memory of violence and would avoid any situation that would revive the memories. Despite such efforts, the children revealed they flash of the genocide images and thoughts long after its end. Some were unable to concentrate due to the trauma they underwent. The Rwandese children experience avoidance because they are afraid such events may occur to them (Atle, et al, 3). The inhuman acts of murder perpetrated by people familiar to them explain this. Most of the children feared early death maybe because they experienced the death of their loved ones. Such post genocide distress may be because the children witnessed the traumatic events first hand and even used dead bodies to hide from the perpetrators. It is evident that time does little to the trauma caused, and this is not only seen in Rwanda’s case, but also in Iraqi children after the Gulf war. The trauma could be aggravated especially because some of the perpetrators of violence were adults the children trusted (Atle,et al,4). Even though with the many post trauma measures, it cannot be assumed that the healing process is over.
The effects of the genocide on the social fabric of the country are revealed by its effects on the churches. The Tutsi happened to dominate education institutions, which belonged to Catholic Church, the first to establish in Rwanda (Peter,875). This did not please the majority Hutus who ruled at that time. They tried to oppose this situation which was not welcome by the bishops who considered it against both Gods law and Rwandan Constitution. These tribal divisions in the churches did not end, with the Hutu taking most leadership. This is because it was the ruling tribe and the fact that the government had seized control of the religious groups. The church failed to criticize the racist acts of the government of detaining the Tutsi and some Hutus who opposed it (Peter, 876). It is clear that the church failed to stop genocide and is also liable to blame. According to one bishop who did not like the situation, the church failed to take its’ position and fight the vice. He thus revealed that the church was not innocent on what was being planned. It is then clear that the church was also broken by the war.
A study on the impact of violence on households reveals the poverty it brings. A household is a unit providing economic, reproductive and consumption roles in a society. Post war households would sometimes have widow who lost their husband as the head (Tilman & Kati, 294). Such households experience poverty especially when the husband’s land is snatched from them. In addition, such windows may not be able to acquire their own land. Widows are not able to engage in heavy economic activities or activities set aside for men. Generally war widows suffer discrimination, something that economically handicaps them. Apart from death, disability and psychological trauma may rob a household source of labor by making the affected unable to work. Genocide may also lead to destruction of the country’s wealth for example cattle.
Conclusion
Finally, it is evident that the violence in Rwanda has a negative impact on the post-genocide population. This is still being experienced even long after the war was over.

Work cited
Atle Dyregrov,Leila Gupta, Rolf Gjestad and Eugenie Mukanoheli. Trauma Exposure and Psychological Reactions to Genocide Among Rwandan Children: Journal of Traumatic Stress, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2000
Peter Celestine Safari. Church, State and the Rwandan Genocide: Political Theology, 2010
Tilman BruCk & Kati Schindler. The Impact of Violent Conflicts on Households: What Do We Know and What Should We Know about War Widows?: Oxford Development Studies, Vol. 37, No. 3, September 2009