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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Intrafamilial sexual abuse: brother-sister incest does not differ from father-daughter and stepfather-stepdaughter incest.

OBJECTIVE: Three groups of girls who were sexually abused (by either brothers, fathers, or stepfathers) were compared. The purpose was to identify the differing characteristics of the abuse, the family environments, and the psychosocial distress of these children. METHOD: Seventy-two girls aged between 5 and 16 were assigned to one of the three groups. Subjects were matched between groups on the basis of their actual age. Children completed measures of traumatic stress; their mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist-Parent Report Form (CBCL) and other self-report questionnaires on family characteristics. Workers in child protective services completed information regarding the nature and severity of the abuse. RESULTS: Results suggested few differences in the characteristics of sexual abuse between the three groups. However, penetration was much more frequent in the sibling incest group (70.8%) than in the stepfather incest (27.3%) or father incest (34.8%) groups. Ninety percent of the victims of fathers and brothers manifested clinically-significant distress on at least one measure, whereas 63.6% of stepfather victims did. Compared with father and stepfather perpetrators, brothers were raised in families with more children and more alcohol abuse. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that the characteristics of brother-sister incest and its associated psychosocial distress did not differ from the characteristics of father-daughter incest These findings suggest that theoretical models and clinical practices should be adjusted accordingly and that sibling incest should not necessarily be construed as less severe or harmful than father-daughter incest.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Brother-sister incest - father-daughter incest: a comparison of characteristics and consequences.

OBJECTIVE: One group of women who were sexually abused by brothers and a second group who were sexually abused by fathers are compared with the intent to identify the differing characteristics of each type of abuse and the effects of the abuse on their adult functioning. Our hypothesis was that there would indeed be differences in the characteristics of the abuse and its effects, and that this would necessitate differing treatment strategies. METHOD: Surveys were distributed to women attending support groups for incest survivors. Of the 62 women completing questionnaires, 14 women (23%) had been sexually abused by a brother. A similar number of women (15) who had been sexually abused by their fathers were chosen from the overall sample for comparison. RESULTS: The absence of the father as a vital force in family life played a key role in the sexual abuse of women by their brothers in every case. The duration of the sexual abuse for brother-abused women and father-abused women was lengthy. The characteristics, including use of force, are equally as serious for sisters as for daughters. The family circumstances surrounding the abuse were examined for both groups and the results yielded a fuller understanding of the incestuous family. Despite an appearance of normalcy, the level of family-wide disturbances, for example substance abuse, mental illness and pervasive family-wide violence were profound for both groups. In this study, we also examine the effects in adulthood of the serious disruption of childhood developmental phases for both brother-abused and father-abused women, taking into account the incidence of substance abuse, depression, suicidality, and eating disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that the characteristics and consequences of brother-sister incest are of equal seriousness to those of father-daughter incest. This would suggest that brother-sister incest is one of the current blind spots in incest research, and one that we cannot afford to ignore. In-depth knowledge of the dynamics and effects of brother-sister incest suggest specific treatment strategies are indeed necessary and these are discussed in this paper.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Assessment of symptoms in adult survivors of incest: a factor analytic study of the Responses to Childhood Incest Questionnaire.

Although research has established the long-term damaging effects of incest, these efforts have suffered from the lack of valid, standardized assessment instruments. The present study reports on the construction and factor validation of the Response to Childhood Incest Questionnaire (RCIQ), a self-report instrument that assesses a range of commonly reported symptoms experienced by adult survivors of incest. A clinical population of 104 adult women who had experienced childhood or adolescent incest completed the RCIQ. A factor analysis of the RCIQ items revealed seven factors which corresponded to hypothesized stress response themes experienced by survivors of traumatic events. These factors include vulnerability and isolation, fear and anxiety, anger and betrayal, reaction to the abuser, sadness and loss, and powerlessness. In addition, four factors corresponded to the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder: intrusive thoughts, avoidance and intrusive emotions, detachment, and emotional control and numbness. The usefulness of the RCIQ as a pre- and post-treatment measure and the need for further research is discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

[Incest. A descriptive study of incest registered at the department of social medicine in Copenhagen during the period Jan. 1, 1987-Dec. 31, 1987].

The object of this investigation was to describe the cases of suspected incest registered in the Department of Social Medicine in the Municipality of Copenhagen in the course of the year 1987. A total of 19 cases were registered. In these, 22 children and adolescents were involved in incestuous relationships; 15 girl and 7 boys. The cases were complicated and far from uniformly illustrated. The differences between the results of the cases where the social authorities were concerned and where the legal prosecuting authorities and the police are described. This difference is expressed by the fact that 13 out of the 22 victims of incest were taken into care outside the home. In addition, 12 out of 22 victims of incest received psychological help. Ten out of 19 cases were reported to the police but a sentence was passed in one case only. Increased training is required for the professional persons involved, and a broad selection of therapeutic proposals should be offered to all of the families concerned, harmonizing with various instances particularly social and health authorities and the police and legal authorities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Coping with incest: the relationship between recollections of childhood coping and adult functioning in female survivors of incest.

One hundred and one adult female survivors' recollections of coping with childhood incest, abuse characteristics, and current functioning in adulthood were studied. Analyses controlling for characteristics of the trauma indicated that recollections of using avoidance coping and seeking social support were related to poor adult functioning whereas recollections of using distancing coping were related to better functioning. As a set of variables, abuse characteristics also predicted a significant amount of variance in adult functioning. Implications for future research were discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2001

[Incest and sexual abuse. A retrospective study of 285 persons referred to ambulatory treatment of the consequences of incest and sexual abuse].

INTRODUCTION: The aim was to describe a cohort of 285 persons referred to the Department of Psychotherapy, Aarhus University Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out of all consecutively referred persons, interviewed and assessed by the author over a six-year period, when treatment of the psychological consequences of sexual abuse was available. RESULTS: A total of 285 persons were referred from 1 January 1989 to 31 December 1995, with complaints of psychological and social consequences of previous sexual abuses. A written invitation to attend a one-hour interview was sent at least twice with information about the questions that would be raised. Only 145 (51%) came for the interview. Of these 141 were women and four were men with an average age of 33.5 years. The time elapse between the sexual abuse and referral was 11 to 23 years. The sexual abuse started most commonly at the age of 4-6 years and ended before the age of 15 years. Seventy-five percent of the sexual abuse occurred within the family and the commonest form was sexual touching (30%), whereas 20% were exposed to intercourse. Of the 145 persons suffering from sexual abuse, the police were informed in 12 cases, but only five cases went to court. DISCUSSION: This retrospective study looks at the pattern of sexual abuse and its consequences. Very few are referred to our National Health Service for treatment and only half of those referred turn up. Many years have passed since the sexual abuse ended and the psychological and social consequences have become so severe as to wish referral. The psychological consequences are a feeling of insecurity, anxiety, guilt, and shame and an inability to establish normal psychological relations with other persons. Many live alone without a job or an education. Treatment options seem mandatory.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Inter-generational transmission of incest.

The majority of reported incest cases involve sexual relations between one generation and another, the most common being father-daughter incest. The increased availability of clinical data on incest has revealed an aspect of the problem that has received little attention in clinical literature. Incest can involve three generations in a family rather than two. It is possible for incest to be "transmitted" from one generation to the next through several patterns. In some cases, the mother in a family of father-daughter incest has herself been a victim of incest with her own father. With a history of unresolved incest with their own fathers, these women are unable to prevent an incest relationship between their husbands and daughters. Another pattern involves situations where the father in the father-daughter incest relationship has been the victim of father-son incest in his youth. The psychodynamics of these patterns of intergenerational transmission of incest are described, with clinical examples from the authors' work, as well as from the literature.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Women, alcohol and incest: an analytical review.

This study examines the historical treatment of two phenomena that impact negatively on the lives of millions of women--incest and alcoholism--and explores the similarities in characteristics of alcoholic women and women with histories of incest. Prior to the early 1980s, incest histories were rarely mentioned in the literature on alcohol. Similarly, the literature on incest makes only passing references to alcohol abuse among adolescent and adult survivors. Hence, formal research comparisons between the alcoholic woman and the incest-surviving woman are lacking. The purpose of this study is not merely to illustrate the similarities between the alcoholic woman and the incest-surviving woman, but also to present a persuasive argument that multidisciplinary research efforts are essential in order to promote more effectively the identification, diagnosis and treatment of women who suffer both alcoholism and incest. To accomplish these goals, this study presents parallel reviews of (1) women and alcohol and (2) women and incest, then develops a comparative profile of the alcoholic woman and the incest-surviving woman. Additionally, the relatively sparse information on the alcoholic incest-surviving woman is reviewed. This study points to the need for further research in order to address the compelling question that emerges: Why do some incest-surviving women become alcoholic while others do not?

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1996

Healing from incest: resurrecting the buried self.

Writers on the incest experience estimate conservatively that 10% to 30% of all girls and 30% of all boys have had at least one childhood experience of incest. Incest is emotionally devastating to a child as it involves betrayal, and the irretrievable loss of trust in the adults in the child's life. Little is written about the healing processes of incest survivors. The purpose of this study was to generate a substantive grounded theory that provides an explanatory schema for understanding the healing process of adult female incest survivors. The sample consisted of 10 adult women who had a history of incest and who volunteered to participate in in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using grounded theory techniques. Data analysis revealed that these women had buried an integral part of the self because of the trauma of incest; The healing process required resurrecting the buried self through a series of seven phases. The model generated from this research provides a heuristic for nurse therapists that assists in assessing and counseling incest survivors.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Client perceptions of incest and substance abuse.

Clients receiving substance abuse treatment from 35 treatment facilities throughout the United States were surveyed using the Substance Abuse and Incest Survey-Revised (SAIS-R). A total of 732 participants responded to the survey; 518 (71%) were males, 204 (28%) were females, and 10 (1%) did not indicate gender. Participants had a mean age of 33.8 years, were predominately Caucasian (61.6%), never married (45.2%), were currently unemployed (69.4%), and had completed an average of 11.7 years of education. Of the entire sample, 266 (36.3%) reported having been victims of incest; 151 were males and 113 were females (2 did not indicate gender). The group reporting incest histories had a significantly greater percentage of females that did the group not reporting incest histories (chi 2 = 48.1, p < .001). Participants with incest histories were asked about their perceptions regarding incest, substance abuse, and counseling. Item responses were examined using descriptive statistics and factor analysis. The factor analysis on SAIS-R perception items identified five factors that accounted for 68.9% of the variance; these factors were Stigma and Resistance to Counseling; Substance Abuse and Incest; Ambivalence; Fear and Anticipation; and Receptivity to Counseling. Results are presented and the implications for substance abuse treatment and counseling are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Marital relations in incest offenders.

The study compared 92 incest perpetrators to 40 (noncriminal) married males on two marital inventories, the Clarke Martial Relations Questionnaire (CMRQ), and the Sexual Behavior and Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire (SBMSQ). Results showed that marital disharmony, in the form of mistrustfullness, lack of mutual friends and time together, emotional instability (in both partners), but not sexual relations, were predominant factors in incest perpetrators' profiles. A discriminant function analysis correctly classified 91.3% of incest offenders, but only 30.0% of controls, into their a priori group. Incest perpetrators reported less mutual give-and-take in disagreements with their spouses, a trend to confide less in their wives, and being more lonely in their marriage. Incest offenders reported they knew their spouses less well prior to marriage, despite the lack of any between-group differences in length of marriage or number of prior marriages. No differences emerged with respect to the range of sexual behaviors experienced or the degree of satisfaction with them. There were no group differences in the frequency of coitus nor in sexual dysfunction. In general, the lack of a satisfying emotional relationship between the incest offenders and their wives appeared as the most prominent factor in their marital relationships. The prominent aspects of their marital disharmony and sexual relations identified in the study reflect, in part, the inherent treatment goals needed for the incest perpetrator.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Factors related to attribution of blame in father-daughter incest.

Attribution of blame in father-daughter incest using the Jackson Incest Blame Scale and the Attitudes Towards Incest Scale--Revised was investigated through a questionnaire mailed to a random sample of the general adult population. 300 respondents completed the questionnaires (207 women, 93 men). Based on factor analyses, five blame subscales were identified for the Jackson Incest Blame Scale, i.e., Victim, Situational, Societal, Offender, and Offender Mental Status, the last being unique to this study. Ratings by men attributed more blame on the Victim and Situational subscales than did those by women. Scores for 51 victims of childhood sexual abuse on the Jackson Incest Blame Scale did not differ from those of 249 nonvictims. Scores on subscales of the Attitudes Towards Incest Scale--Revised (Credibility, Power, Parental Role, Victimization) were moderately correlated with ratings on Jackson's scale. More total blame and more blame of victim were associated with lower rated credibility towards a claim of incest; lower rated blame of victim was related to greater recognition of the incestuous father's coercive role.

Adolescent↗