Factsheets: Incest

Introduction
Definition
Overview
References
Bibliography
For Additional Information

Research indicates that 46 percent (46%) of children who are raped are
victims of family members. (Langan and Harlow, 1994.)
The majority of American rape victims (61%) are raped before the age of
18; furthermore, an astounding 29 percent (29%) of all forcible rapes
occurred when the victim was less than 11 years old. Eleven percent (11%) of
rape victims are raped by their fathers or step-fathers, and another 16
percent (16%) are raped by other relatives. (National Center for Victims of
Crime and Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, 1992.)
The study of a nationally representative sample of state prisoners serving
time for violent crime in 1991 showed that, of those prisoners convicted of
rape or sexual assault, two-thirds victimized children and almost one-third of
the victims were the children or step-children of the assailant. (Greenfeld,
1996.)
In a study of male survivors of child sexual abuse, over 80 percent (80%)
had a history of substance abuse, 50 percent (50%) had suicidal thoughts, 23
percent (23%) attempted suicide, and almost 70 percent (70%) received
psychological treatment. Thirty-one percent (31%) had violently victimized
others. (Lisak, 1994.)

Introduction

While the prevalence and severity of child abuse in the United States has

been given an increasing amount of attention -- attitudes, definitions and

statistics continue to vary. The examination of incest may incite some of the
greatest discrepancies, for it remains one of the most under-reported and
least discussed crimes in our nation. An almost international taboo, incest
often remains concealed by the victim because of guilt, shame, fear, social
and familial pressure, as well as coercion by the abuser (Matsakis, 1991).

Definition

One definition describes incest as: "...the sexual abuse of a child by a relative
or other person in a position of trust and authority over the child. It is a
violation of the child where he or she lives -- literally and metaphorically. A
child molested by a stranger can run home for help and comfort. A victim of
incest cannot" (Vanderbilt, 1992, p. 51). Additional definitions include the
following characteristics:

Sexual contact or interaction between family members who are not marital
partners;
Oral-genital contact, genital or anal penetration, genital touching of the
victim by the perpetrator, any other touching of private body parts, sexual
kissing and hugging;
Sexually staring at the victim by the perpetrator, accidental or disguised
touching of the victim's body by the perpetrator, verbal invitations to engage
in sexual activity, verbal ridiculing of body parts, pornographic photography,
reading of sexually explicit material to children, and exposure to
inappropriate sexual activity (Caruso, 1987).

Overview

Incest does not discriminate. It happens in families that are financiallyprivileged, as well as those of low socio-economic status. It happens to those
of all racial and ethnic descent, and to those of all religious traditions. Victims
of incest are boys and girls, infants and adolescents. Incest occurs between
fathers and daughters, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters and mothers
and sons. Perpetrators of incest can be aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces,
nephews, step-parents, step-children, grandparents and grandchildren. In

addition, incest offenders can be persons without a direct blood or legal

relationship to the victim such as a parent's lover or live-in nanny,
housekeeper, etc. -- as this abuse takes place within the confines of the
family and the home environment (Vanderbilt, 1992). The study of a
nationally representative sample of state prisoners serving time for violent
crime in 1991 revealed that 20 percent (20%) of their crimes were committed
against children, and three out of four prisoners who victimized a child
reported the crime took place in their own home or in the victim's home
(Greenfeld, 1996).

Estimates of the number of incest victims in the United States vary. These
discrepancies can be attributed to the fact that incest remains an extremely
under-reported crime. All too often, pressure from family members -- in
addition to threats or pressure from the abuser -- results in extreme
reluctance to reveal abuse and to subsequently obtain help (Matsakis, 1991).

Incest has been cited as the most common form of child abuse. Studies
conclude that 43 percent (43%) of the children who are abused are abused by
family members, 33 percent (33%) are abused by someone they know, and
the remaining 24 percent (24%) are sexually abused by strangers (Hayes,
1990). Other research indicates that over 10 million Americans have been
victims of incest.

One of the nation's leading researchers on child sexual abuse, David

Finkelhor, estimates that 1,000,000 Americans are victims of father-daughter
incest, and 16,000 new cases occur annually (Finkelhor, 1983). However,
Finkelhor's statistics may be significantly low because they are based
primarily on accounts of white, middle-class women and may not adequately
represent low-income and minority women (Matsakis, 1991).

Victims of incest are often extremely reluctant to reveal that they are being
abused because their abuser is a person in a position of trust and authority
for the victim. Often the incest victim does not understand -- or they deny -that anything is wrong with the behavior they are encountering (Vanderbilt,
1992). Many young incest victims accept and believe the perpetrator's
explanation that this is a "learning experience" that happens in every family
by an older family member. Incest victims may fear they will be disbelieved,
blamed or punished if they report their abuse.

In addition, some recent research suggests that some victims of incest may
suffer from biochemically-induced amnesia. This condition can be triggered
by a severe trauma, such as a sexual assault, which causes the body to incur
a number of complex endocrine and neurological changes resulting in
complete or partial amnesia regarding the event. Thus, any immediate and/or
latent memory of the incident(s) is repressed (Matsakis, 1991).

Most research concludes that girls and women are at substantially higher risk
of being sexually assaulted than males (Matsakis, 1991). A recent study of all
state prisoners serving time for violent crime in 1991 revealed that of all
those convicted for rape or sexual assault, two-thirds victimized children and
three out of four of their victims were young girls (Greenfeld, 1996). However,
estimates of male incest may be low due to the fact that, while girls are
extremely hesitant to disclose incest, boys are probably even more so. Boys
may be especially reluctant to admit incest victimization because of the
sexual details and their fear it may indicate to others a weakness and/or
homosexuality, which can result in negative social stigmatization (Vanderbilt,
1992).

Incest can have serious long-term effects on its victims. One study concluded
that among the survivors of incest who were victimized by their mothers, 60
percent (60%) of the women had eating disorders as did one-fourth (25%) of
the men. Of the 93 women and nine men included in this study, 80 percent
(80%) of the women and all of the men reported sexual problems in their
adult life. In addition, almost two-thirds of the women stated that they never
or rarely went to the doctor or the dentist as the examination was too
terrifying for them. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) -- which includes
amnesia, nightmares and flashbacks -- also remains prevalent among incest
survivors (Vanderbilt, 1992). Additionally, there is research which indicates
that children who have been sexually abused by a relative suffers from even
more intense guilt and shame, low self-esteem, depression and selfdestructive behavior (such as substance abuse, sexual promiscuity and
prostitution) than children who have been sexually assaulted by a stranger
(Matsakis, 1991).

Whether an incest victim endured an isolated incident of abuse or ongoing

assaults over an extended period of time, the process of recovery can be
exceptionally painful and difficult. The recovery process begins with

admission of abuse and the recognition that help and services are needed.
There are services and resources available for incest victims -- both children
and adult survivors of incest. Resources for incest victims include books, selfhelp groups, workshops, short and long-term therapy programs, and possible
legal remedies. Many survivors of incest have formed self-help/support
groups where they along with other incest survivors can discuss their
victimization and find role models who have survived incest (Vanderbilt,
1992).

In addition to believing, listening to, and helping victims of incest in their

process of recovery, we need to simultaneously search for ways to prevent
future generations from enduring such abuse and from continuing the cycles
of abuse within their own family and relationships.

References

Caruso, Beverly. (1987). The Impact of Incest. Center City, MN: Hazelden
Educational Materials.

Finkelhor, David. (1983). The Dark Side of Families: Current Family Violence
Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Greenfeld, Lawrence. (1996). Child Victimizers: Violent Offenders and Their

Victims: Executive Summary. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics and
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of
Justice.

Hayes, Robert. (1990, Summer). "Child Sexual Abuse." Crime Prevention

Journal.

Langan, Patrick and Caroline Harlow. (1994). Child Rape Victims, 1992.
Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice.

Lisak, David. (1994). "The Psychological Impact of Sexual Abuse: Content

Analysis of Interviews with Male Survivors." Journal of Traumatic Stress, 7(4):
525-548.

Matsakis, Aphrodite. (1991). When the Bough Breaks. Oakland, CA: New
Harbinger Publications.

National Center for Victims of Crime and Crime Victims Research and
Treatment Center. (1992). Rape in America: A Report to the Nation. Arlington,
VA: National Center for Victims of Crime and Crime Victims Research and
Treatment Center. Vanderbilt, Heidi. (1992, February). "Incest: A Chilling
Report." Lears, p. 49-77.

Bibliography

Blume, E. Sue. (1990). Secret Survivors: Uncovering Incest and Its Aftereffects
in Women. New York: Wiley Publishing.

Byerly, Carolyn. (1985). The Mother's Book: How to Survive the Incest of Your
Child. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing.

Davis, Laura. (1990). The Courage to Heal Workbook: For Women and Men
Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse. New York: Harper & Row.

Fuller, A. Kenneth and Robert Bartucci. (1991). "HIV Transmission and

Childhood Sexual Abuse." Journal of Sex Education & Therapy, 17(1).

Gust, Jean and Patricia Sweeting. (1992). Recovering from Sexual Abuse and
Incest: A Twelve-Step Guide. Bedford, MA: Mills & Sanderson Publishing.

Hunter, Mic. (1990). Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims of Sexual Abuse.

Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.

Mayer, Adele. (1985). Sexual Abuse: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment

of Incestuous and Pedophilic Acts. Holmes Beach, FL: Learning Publications.

National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse. (1988). Basic Facts About
Child Abuse. Chicago, IL: National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse.

National Center for Victims of Crime. (1997). "Child Sexual Abuse," FYI,
Arlington, VA: National Center for Victims of Crime.

National Center for Victims of Crime. (1997). "Civil Legal Remedies for Victims
of Violent Crimes," FYI, Arlington, VA: National Center for Victims of Crime.

National Center for Victims of Crime. (1997). "Cult and Ritualistic Abuse," FYI,
Arlington, VA: National Victim Center.

National Center for Victims of Crime. (1998). "Extensions of the Criminal and
Civil Statutes of Limitations in Child Sexual Abuse Cases," FYI, Arlington, VA:
National Center for Victims of Crime.

National Center for Victims of Crime. (1992). "Rape-Related Posttraumatic

Stress Disorder," FYI, Arlington, VA: National Victim Center.

National Center for Victims of Crime. (1997). "Trauma of Victimization," FYI,

Arlington, VA: National Victim Center.

Ward, Elizabeth. (1985). Father-Daughter Rape. New York: Grove Press.

Wiehe, Vernon. (1997). Sibling Abuse: Hidden Physical, Emotional, and Sexual

Trauma. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

For additional information, please call:

Family Violence & Sexual Assault Institute

1121 East Southeast Loop 323, Suite 130
Tyler, TX 75701
(903) 534 - 5100

Incest Survivors Resource Network International

P.O. Box 7375
Las Cruces, NM 88006-7375
(505) 521 - 4260

National Children's Advocacy Center

200 Westside Square, Suite 700
Huntsville, AL 35801
(205) 533 - 0531

National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse

332 South Michigan Avenue Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 663 - 3520

National Council on Child Abuse & Family Violence

1155 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 400

Washington, DC 20036
(800) 222 - 2000
(202) 429 - 6695

National HIV/AIDS Hotline

Centers for Disease Control
American Social Health Association
P.O. Box 13827
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
(800) 342 - AIDS
(800) 344 - SIDA (Spanish)
(800) 243 - 7889 (TDD)

Survivors of Incest Anonymous

World Service Office
P.O. Box 21817
Baltimore, MD 21222-6817
(410) 282-3400

VOICES in Action, Inc.

8041 Hosbrook Street
Suite 236
Cincinnati, Ohio 45236
Phone: 513-745-9555
Fax: 513-745-9105

Your state Attorney General, county/city prosecutor, or county/city law

enforcement:

Check in the Blue Pages of your local phone book under the appropriate
section heading of either "Local Governments," "County Governments," or
"State Government."

All rights reserved.

Copyright 1997 by the National Center for Victims of Crime. This

information may be freely distributed, provided that it is distributed free of
charge, in its entirety and includes this copyright notice.

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In "Research":More factsheets are listed in the Research section.

Resource Guide
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The Resource Guide is a free information service from The New York City
Alliance Against Sexual Assault.

If you know of a resource for sexual assault survivors which should be

included in the Guide, please tell us about it.

Manhattan Borough President Stringer with Denim Day supporters

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