Incest
Submitted by jessicab on Mon, 2006-02-27 18:28.
Introduction:
Incest is often included as a subset of Sexual Assault of Children. While there is a substantial amount of overlap in the two types of assault, for the purposes of this website we have separated them in recognition of the different needs that victims of each type of assault may have.
Definition:
Sexual contact between persons who are so closely related that their marriage is illegal (e.g., parents and children, uncles/aunts and nieces/nephews, etc.). This usually takes the form of an older family member sexually abusing a child or adolescent.
Incest is considered by many experts to be a particularly damaging form of sexual abuse because it is perpetrated by indivuals whom the victim trusts and depends upon. In addition, support can also be lacking and pressure to keep silent powerful as fear of the family breaking up can be overwhelming to other family members.
CULTURAL NOTE: There are, however, different cultural expectations and rules about incest. For instance, in some areas of the Arab world and southern India it is estimated that as many as 50% of marriages occur between first cousins. In addition, in southern India it is still common to see a maternal uncle (the mother's brother) marry the first daughter.
Incest can include such sexual acts as:
Noncontact acts- sexual comments, exposure, voyeurism, showing pornographic materials, etc.
Sexual contact- touching, rubbing
Digital or object penetration- both of the victim and of the perpetrator
Oral sex- both of the victim and of the perpetrator
Penile penetration- vaginal, anal, animals
Circumstances of the sexual acts can also be diverse including:
Dyadic sexual abuse- involving two people (victim and perpetrator)
Group sex
Sex rings
Sexual exploitation
Child pornography
Child prostitution
Common Reactions:
Reactions in Children:
Withdrawal
Depression
Sleeping & eating disorders
Self-mutilation
Phobias
Psychosomatic symptoms (stomach aches, headaches)
School problems (absences, drops in grades)
Poor hygiene/excessive bathing
Anxiety
Guilt
Regressive behaviors- thumb-sucking, etc.
For reactions in adult survivors of incest please see Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
The following reactions are seen in child, adolescent and adult survivors of incest.
Traumatic Sexualization:
Aversive feelings about sex
Overvaluing sex
Sexual identity problems
Hypersexual or sexual avoidance
Stigmatization:
Feelings of guilt/responsibility for the abuse
Self-destructive behavior
Substance abuse
self-harm
suicidal ideation
risk-taking acts
provocative behavior in order to encite punishment
Betrayal:
Lack of trust, especially of those who were supposed to be protective and nurturing
Avoidance of investment in others
Manipulative behaviors
Anger, acting-out and borderline behaviors
Re-enacting the trauma through involvement in additional abusive or dangerous relationships
Powerlessness:
Perception of vulnerability, victimization
Desire to control and prevail- often exhibited as identification with the aggressor
Avoidance- including dissociation, running away
Anxiety- including phobias, sleep problems, eating problems, elimination problems, revictimization
NOTE: It is important to note that there is no standard or typical symptom that can identify an individual as having survived incest. Much of the reactions and symptoms will depend on age at time of abuse, age at time of disclosure, support (or lack of support) from other caregivers, length of abuse, sex of the victim and perpetrator, etc.
This section was adapted from materials provided by the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault. Additional information for this section comes from Valente, S.M., Sexual Abuse of Boys in Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurses, 18:1, p. 10-18 and Child Sexual Abuse: Intervention and Treatment Issues, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1999).
