Incest
Incest
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.
Incest is 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 individuals upon whom the victim trusts and depends. 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 (stomachaches, 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 in 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 a survivor of 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.
Resources and Links
The National Children's Alliance
How Can I Protect My Child from Sexual Assault?
US Department of Justice's Office of Victim's of Crime Incest Page
Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website
This online, searchable database of sex offenders is the result of a cooperative effort between the state agencies hosting public sexual offender registries and the Federal Government. The Federal site centralizes the different sex offender registries built and maintained by State and territories and provides real-time access to public sex offender data nationwide with a single Internet search.
This Web site allows parents and concerned citizens to search existing public state and territory sex offender registries beyond their own communities.
