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Essay Subject: Definition, covert & overt, history & causes, family structure, personal boundaries.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Definition, covert & overt, history & causes, family structure, personal boundaries. Paper Introduction: Introduction The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on incest. To this end, the paper begins with definitional statements about the topic. The history and etiology of incest are then examined; and, finally, articles on the structure of the incestuous family are explored. Definition According to Allgeier and Allgeier (1985): In general, incest refers to any sexual interaction between people who are related closely enough so that marriage between them would be illegal. (p.579) As defined by these authors, incest can take several forms: parent-child, grandparent-grandchild, and sibling-sibling. However, Nass, Libby and Fisher (1981) have noted that many Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. In some cases, secretiveness will becarried to the point of dissociation wherein the incestuous events arerepressed (forgotten) by the victims until much later on in life(Bernstein, 1989). Berliner, L., & Conte, J.R. The family environment of sexual abuse: Acomparison of natal and stepfather abuse. Further, theauthors reported that when family structure, marital power, and geographicstability (the amount of time the family lived in the same dwelling) weretaken together, they predicted over 48 percent of the variance in severityof incest. Shame, boundaries and dissociation in chemicallydependent, abusive, and incestuous families. Guthiel, T.G., & Avery, N.C. Studies that have examined for differences in the family environmentsof natal and stepfather sexual abuse have observed some differences.Gordon (1989), for example, conducted an extensive analysis for differencesin the family environments characterizing natal and stepfather abusesituations. References Allgeier, E.R., & Allgeier, A.R. Of incestuous situations (natal father-child), Gordon (1989)concluded: . Patterns of sexual behavior. Such studies reserve the term "incest" for the natalfather-child situation and apply the term "sexual abuse" to the stepfather-child situation. Family Process, 16(1), 1 5-116.Meiselman, K.C. The authors note surprise atthis finding and suggest that it needs replication in future research tomake sure that it is not a methodological artifact. It was noted thatdifferent studies often used different definitions of the term with someresearch restricting use of the term to sexual interactions among immediatefamily members while other research used an expanded version of the termwhich included many blood relatives, step-parents and even in-laws. Journal of the American Academyof Psychoanalysis, 17(2), 2 7-221. A study conducted by Finkelhor, Hotaling, Lewis, & Smith (1989)provides further insight into the family structure of incestuoushouseholds. 4. If parents have no geneticdefects, but rather genetic assets as musical talent, or strong intellects,then the likelihood is strong that their children will manifest thesepositive qualities. (p.579)As defined by these authors, incest can take several forms: parent-child,grandparent-grandchild, and sibling-sibling. The authors feel that the broaderdefinition is troublesome in that it includes relationships that are morecontractual than incestuous; for example, a married woman who has sexualintercourse with her brother-in-law would be engaging in a incestuousrelationship under the broader definition. The disappearance of the incest taboo. This coercive element does not necessarily referto threatening actions on the part of the perpetrator; but rather, itdenotes that the child is not a consenting partner because he or she oftendoes not understand what it is that is being consented to, nor does thechild feel free to say "no." Evans divides incest into two categories: (1) covert incest manifesting itself in behaviors such asinadvertent touching, household voyeurism, physical punishment while naked,sexual hugs, ridicule of developing bodies, interpreting the child'sbehavior in terms of adult, sexual themes, lewd reading and video-tapewatching with the child, use of objectifying, sexualizing language, andinvasive hygienic practices; and (2) overt incest manifesting itself in behaviors such as frenchkissing, exhibitionism, fondling, fellatio, cunnilingus, penetration withobjects, intercourse, and sodomy. Evans, S. Heath. (1989). . History and Etiology Historically, incest and the public reaction to it has been rooted inthe incest taboo. What distinguishes Evan's definition fromthe just cited definitions is that it includes a coercive element; and itis coercion that is typically of most incestuous relationships because inmost a child is involved. The process of victimization:The victim's perspective. One problem with the earlier research on incest is that definitionsof the phenomenon were broad. Family structure was defined in terms of severalattributes, e.g. Minneapolis, MN: Haworth. Ullerstam, L. Sexual choices: Anintroduction to human sexuality. Regarding the mother, the authors state that: The mother usually seems overwhelmed, unwilling to satisfy her husband's sexual needs, and unable to protect her children even when she knows what's going on (p.264). Incestuous homes werecharacterized as unhappy households marked by social isolation, paternalalcohol drinking and tyranny, maternal aloofness and abdication ofhousehold duties resulting in a blurring of the generational roles, ablurring which increased the daughter's risk of sexual abuse. Data analyzed in the study were drawn from national datacollected across 17 states. The incestuous father was often deserted or mistreated inchildhood by his own father; sometimes the mistreatment was in fact sexualin nature. As Nass, Libbyand Fisher (1981) have noted, these studies also reveal a father who isdomineering, abusive and violent with poor judgement and low impulsecontrol. (199 ). in order for a natal father to overcome bonding, commitment to the father's role, and the incest taboo, an environment must exist that has a corrosive effect on individual and family functioning . Cohen (1978) has noted that when the incest taboo is examined acrossthousands of cultures, the group of prohibited partners increases as thecomplexity of the society decreases. Her explanation centers aroundthe notion that incestuous households are characterized by boundaryviolations. Bernstein, M.D. It was alsonoted that natal fathers were more sexually abusive than stepfathers andthat there were a number of other structural differences in the incestuoushome environments of natal parent-child and stepfather parent-child sexualabuse. The section began with a delineation ofsome of the characteristics and features of incestuous families that hadbeen established in early research on the topic. For example, both the CheyenneIndians and the Kwonia of New Guinea include in-laws in the prohibitedgroup whereas most modern-day industrial societies limit the prohibitedgroup to the immediate family household. While incest in the United States and other Western cultures hasalways been a concern, Allgeier and Allgeier (1985) reportthat both the concern and the legal ramifications are far stronger todaythan they were years ago. Analysis of two adult female patients whohad been victims of incest in childhood. HumanNature, 1, 72-78. The authors attribute the more severe legalpenalties and the increased concern over incest to contemporary researchwhich has revealed the extent of the damaging consequences of incest.These consequences include: (1) profound disruption of the young victim'slife; (2) increased incidence of prostitution, sexual dysfunctions, andsubstance abuse; and (3) deep feelings of shame, guilt, fear, and self-doubt. Incest. (1966). As societies began to grow more complex, goods and resourcesincreased; therefore, the need for the taboo decreased and its strengthweakened. Some families weresaid to be Disorganized (characterized by continuous changes in familystructure owing to parental separations, parental promiscuity, etc.) whileother families were said to be organized (characterized as nuclear, stable,and not promiscuous). Family Systems Medicine, 6(4), 453-461. The final section of the review focused on articles examining incestin relation to family structure. Nass, G.D., Libby, R.W., & Fisher, M.P. Ullerstam (1966) reported that regardless of which relatives are orare not included in the prohibited group, most societies allow exceptionsto the rule. Child Abuse and Neglect, 14, 19-28. The most major of these family features were that: 1. (1981). Since most of the reported incestuous situations involve father-daughter incest, much of the research is focused on determining familystructure in these households. New York: Grove.----------------------- 12 However, it is important to note that in order for defects tomanifest themselves, parents must have them. . Cohen (1978) stated that the incest taboo arose in order to expandtribes, clans, and small social collectives, thereby increasing theirlimited sources of materials and products by marriage outside of theirgroup. Finkelhor, D., Hotaling, G., Lewis, I.A., & Smith, C. The incestuous act, Evans states, obstructs the healthy developmentof identity (self-perception) formation and, therefore, leads to negativeconsequences such as fear of intimacy, guilt, anger, issues with touch andfear of abandonment--all of which Evans view as manifestations of a shame-based identity. Child Abuse and Neglect, 14, 29-4 . Therefore, the taboo must still be serving somefunction. Observed findings indicated that: (1)stepfathers were more often perpetrators than natal fathers; (2) natalfathers sexually abused their children at younger ages than didstepfathers; (3) black stepfathers are more often sexual abusers than whitestepfathers; (4) stepfathers often restrict their attention to one child inthe family while natal fathers tend to abuse more than one child; and (5)victims molested by their natural fathers are more likely to be living inhomes without a mother than are victims molested by their stepfathers. The paper further noted that the historical roots of incest can befound in the incest taboo believed to originally have been developed forthe purposes of extending a small collectives resources and materials.Currently, it was noted that this function of the taboo is not reallyapplicable to complex, industrial societies. Some of thesenegative genetic consequences include: sickliness, degeneracy, idiocy, andsterility. Tothis end, the paper begins with definitional statements about the topic.The history and etiology of incest are then examined; and, finally,articles on the structure of the incestuous family are explored. (1951). . Regarding the geographic stabilityvariable, stable families were observed to be more severe in manifestationsof sexual abuse than were unstable families. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on incest. (1979). However, it is important to note that even in complex, industrialsocieties, the taboo has not disappeared; this despite abundance of goods,products and resources. According to authors such as Ford and Beach (1951),Cohen (1978) and Ullerstam (1966), the taboo against sexual relationshipswith particular relatives arose early in human history. Many of theobserved dynamics are similar to father-daughter incest. One of the most frequent responses to incest, on the part of thevictim, is a deep sense of shame. NewYork: Harper & Row. Ford, C.S., & Beach, F.A. (1978). Evans (1988) has offered a familystructure explanation for this phenomenon. Family Structure There is a substantial body of literature on the structural dynamicsof incestuous families. This report of findings obtained from early research was followed bydiscussion and delineation of current findings. However, Nass, Libby andFisher (1981) have noted that many scholars define incest more broadly,including more relatives than those in the immediate family (e.g. He is a man who dominates and intimidates his wife andchildren. She reports that if these boundariesare not developed and maintained, there can be no positive identity orhealth expressions of intimacy. Child Abuse and Neglect, 13, 121-13 . The most severe abusers werefound to be patriarchal offenders. (1989). Indeed, in more current research,Berliner and Conte (199 ) report that the sexual offender usually uses themethod of justifying his actions to the child and persuading that thebehavior is acceptable. (1985). For example, in the early research on incest (e.g.Guthiel & Avery, 1977; Meiselman, 1979), several typical features werereliably established. A study of family structure, marital power, maternal aloofness, andfathers' alcohol consumption was conducted by de Chesnay, Marshall andClements (1988) using a sample of families receiving therapy for father-daughter incest. study wasoperationalized in terms of three discrete categories: power sharedequally by spouses (egalitarian), power unshared by father (patriarchal),and power unshared by mother (matriarchal). de Chesnay, M., Marshall, E., & Clements, C. Regarding family structure, de Chesnay, Marshall and Clements (1988)found that there was a significant relationship between structuralattributes and severity of incest, where severity was measured by aquestionnaire assessing form, duration and frequency of incest.Specifically, the authors found that biologic fathers were more severe intheir manifestations of sexual abuse than were stepfathers. For example, royal marriages have often been incestuous onthe grounds of preserving the "royal blood." Similarly, when theincestuous act is associated with beneficent "magic," it will be allowed insome societies such as when African hippo hunters engage in sex with theirdaughters on the night before the hunt because they believe that theincestuous act will improve their luck on the hunt. Also, theauthors note that frequently the victims will keep secret about thesituation well into their adulthood; this for fear that revelation willbreak-up the parents' marriage. (1988). 2. Science has increasingly revealed that geneticdefects in inbreeding parents are visited on their children. Incest occurs in families at all socioeconomic levels. Sexual interactions.Lexington, MA: D.C. Cohen, Y. Multiple overt incest asfamily defense against loss. 3. This weakening, therefore, explains why the prohibited group ofrelatives constricts as societies become more complex and industrial. However, there has been some researchconducted on the family structure of father-son incest. Definition According to Allgeier and Allgeier (1985): In general, incest refers to any sexual interaction between people who are related closely enough so that marriage between them would be illegal. cousins)as well as step-relatives, and in-laws. The mother in incestuous father-child households often is alooftoward her daughter, confused about her own sexual identity, and evidencesa tendency to slowly abdicate her household responsibilities to thedaughter. It was stated that in suchsocieties, the taboo now serves to maintain the integrity of the family andto eliminate the spread of genetic defects through inbreeding. (1988). Incestuous situations are initiated by the parent (typically thefather) in a nonthreatening manner. Also contributive to today's strong legal consequences of incest hasbeen genetic research. Specifically, Evans points out that the maintenance of personalphysical, sexual, and emotional boundaries is pivotal to the formation ofone's identity or self-perception. (199 ).Sexual abuse in a national survey of adult men and women: Prevalence,characteristics, and risk factors. . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. the homes of natal father offenders are more apt to be characterized by economic as well as drug and alcohol problems (p.129). The marital power variable in the de Chesnay et al. In this regard, it can be noted that in modern times, the incesttaboo is said to serve the function of maintaining the integrity of thefamily unit. Thus, in many studies, samples consisted ofboth natal fathers-child sexual interaction and stepfather-child sexualinteraction. (1977). Summary This paper examined the literature on incest. Monterey, CA: Wadsworth Health Sciences. Consequently there is a blurring of generational roles whichfosters violation of the cultural prohibition on incest. The erotic minorities. In more current research on the familial structure ofincestuous households, there have been attempts to distinguish betweenthese two groups. However, the typeof relatives which one was required to refrain from having sexualinteractions with, has and does vary from culture to culture. In this regard, the authors report that these homes arecharacterized by an unhappy and socially isolated family life. He tends to be a heavy drinker with low impulse control and apervasive sense of personal inadequacy. Gordon, M. households consisting of both biologic parents, householdsconsisting of one biologic parent and one step-parent. Familystructure, marital power, maternal distance, and paternal alcoholconsumption in father-daughter incest. Evans (1988) defines incest as one form of sexual boundary violationscharacteristic of sexual abuse. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.