You shouldn’t have been attacked - big problems cause other big problems, that is only common sense.
Also, we don’t really know the effects of growing up with no grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. - or a very reduced number. Surely this has some effect on one’s psyche.
I’ve always believed there was an impact on the health of these children - after all, some of their parents were deprived a good food and healthy exercise and happiness for many years! Not to mention the depression of having to live with hideous memories. We know the impact of famine on Africans - why not Europeans?