Incest
From Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality
Incest is usually defined as any sexual activity between persons related by “blood” (genetically)—for example, father and daughter, uncle and niece, or brother and sister. It also may extend to relationships based on marriage such as between a stepfather and stepdaughter. The concept becomes less clear and varies by state law in its application to first and second cousins and other somewhat familial relationships such as in-laws. While many people assume that sexual intercourse is inherent in the definition of incest, this is not true when children are involved. In such cases incest includes not only penetration but fondling of a child’s genitals—or the child’s fondling of the adult’s—or oral sex.
Incest, particularly parent-child sex, has been forbidden in nearly all cultures throughout history. Some exceptions to brother-sister incest were accepted for the nobility in a few cultures—for example, in ancient Egypt, where pharaohs were required to practice it.
Estimates of the frequency of incest in the United States have ranged as high as 30 percent of the population. In a recent national survey by Drs. Sam and Cynthia Janus, 14.9 percent of the women and 4.7 percent of the men studied reported they had been sexually molested by a relative when they were children. Their study also reported that women are more likely than men to view incest as a major problem in American society today, probably because women are more likely than men to be victims of incest as children or young teenagers. Other researchers have reported that women were the victims in 92 percent of reported cases of incest.
The most frequent form of incest is reported to be between a brother and sister—almost five times more frequently than between father and daughter. In one study 13 percent of college students said they had experienced some form of sexual activity with a brother or sister. The most common activities were said to be looking at genitals or touching them, while four percent reportedly involved sexual intercourse. Incest between a mother and son appears to be the least common of all forms of incest; it is reported in less than 1 percent of families. Women who had stepfathers during their childhood years were eight times as likely to have been sexually abused than those whose biological fathers were at home during this period. Little has been reported about homosexual incest, but some researchers studying child abuse have indicated that this too may be a serious problem.
While father-daughter incest is considered by most people to be abhorrent, there is little evidence that the male adults in these situations are emotionally disturbed in such a way that they are incapable of restraint. Even researchers who believe just the opposite—that most are mentally disturbed—believe, nevertheless, that they should be prosecuted. However, evidence shows that adults accused of incest are rarely prosecuted unless there is concomitant physical abuse.
Anecdotal reporting of father-daughter incest indicates that a fairly common scenario involves a father involved in a sexually frustrating relationship with the mother. Researchers report that many mothers are somewhat aware of incestuous relationships but choose—out of passivity, dependency, fear of public exposure, or other reasons—to deny it until confronted. Often, the mother will blame the child for the situation, creating even more psychological damage after the relationship is ended. In most instances the child is coerced into the incestuous relationship through fear and even force—the equivalent of familial rape. There is agreement among many writers in this field that parent-child incest does not occur in stable, loving families.
Incest is not usually a one time sexual act: it tends to continue for many years. The average duration of an incestuous relationship between a parent and child is approximately five years. It is evident that incest is very likely to have a profound, emotionally traumatic impact on the child, that may carry over to later adult emotional and sexual relationships.
