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.

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).