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Abstract
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Sibling incest has seldom been researched and thus remains poorly understood. The authors review a case and discuss it in the context of the recent literature on incest. The case report they present demonstrates the complexity of individual and family dynamics leading to incest and illustrates the need for caution in making generalizations about incestuous families. The authors recommend that evaluators and treaters of incestuous families pay close attention to the specific dynamics of any given case and avoid assuming that common scenarios or traits of participants alone can adequately explain the incest.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study by Ascherman and Safier was to present a case report of sibling incest to illustrate the complex nature of individual and family dynamics associated with this form of intrafamilial abuse. Treatments for incest families were recommended. A psychoanalytic approach was employed.
METHODOLOGY:
The authors presented a non-experimental case report of an adolescent perpetrator of sibling incest. A discussion of the case followed.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The authors discussed the case of a 16 year old adolescent perpetrator of sibling incest. The victim, the adolescent's 9 year old sister, reported to her mother that her brother had both fondled her and had vaginal intercourse with her on several occasions. Child welfare and the police were informed of the abuse and the adolescent perpetrator was hospitalized at a psychiatric clinic. This was done on the provision that the perpetrator agree to a psychiatric evaluation at the end of treatment.
The authors reported that the adolescent's psychiatric evaluation had revealed that family dysfunction had shaped his adverse behavior. An analysis of the family history revealed that the perpetrator had often been verbally and physically abused by his father, forbidden to socialize with others outside the family unit and that he and his father had often engaged in physical conflict. Early personal history questions directed at ruling out paraphilias and past sexual abuse, revealed that the perpetrator had reported no previous sexual molestation towards anyone, no bestiality and no sexual victimization. The perpetrator reported that he dated rarely, that privacy rules had been observed in the family home, and he denied the presence of any pornographic material in the home.
The mother's background was described as religious and free from abuse and victimization. The mother reported no history of drug or substance abuse in her family of origin. The perpetrator's father was described as quiet, yet strong. The father described his family of origin as aloof. The father denied any history of sexual abuse or victimization. There was an absence of alcohol abuse, substance abuse and psychiatric disorder in the paternal family. The father stated that he had struggled with feelings of inadequacy. The parental relationship was described as problem ladened. Early tensions arose in the relationship as a result of financial strain, the early birth of the perpetrator, and poor communication patterns. The mother was oftentimes physically and emotionally abused by the father. The daughter was described as bright and emotionally and physically mature for her age. She appeared to be genuinely concerned for her brother's welfare. At no point during the assessment was concern expressed by either parent about the impact of the incest on the daughter or of the impact of the perpetrator's hospitalization on the family.
An individual assessment of the perpetrator revealed that he was passive, emotionally flat, aloof, and unresponsive to displays of common courtesy. Psychometric tests indicated that the perpetrator was depressed and unable to tolerate emotion. Projective tests indicated that he felt estranged from his parents and perceived his father as hostile and revengeful. The perpetrator was described as indirectly exhibitionistic (e.g., wore tight jeans, touched his genital area often in public). He also engaged in the voyeuristic endeavors of overinvestment of interest in other adolescents' sexual activities. He never spoke about the incest voluntarily throughout hospitalization. He expressed little guilt or remorse about the incestuous relationship he had had with his sister and believed that his sister shared responsibility for its occurrence.
The authors suggested that this case not be generalized to all families where sibling incest occurs, since, cases do not conform to any neat prototype. The authors reported that this case displayed many of the symptoms characteristic of incestuous families (e.g., poor communication between family members, common secrets, troubled marriage and blurred family roles) and individual psychopathology. Both the mother and son felt alienated by the father. It was postulated by the authors that the perpetrator's sexually abusive behavior towards his sister were his attempts to assault her for being favored by his father and as retaliation against his father. The authors also suggested that the incestuous relationship between the perpetrator and his sister functioned to provide the perpetrator with the nurturance and dependency he needed, and an outlet for his rage. The authors concluded that incestuous relationships could be best understood in the context of interconnected individual and intrafamilial factors which blend to create an incestuous climate. The authors reported that the daughter was not individually assessed and suggested that this may have compromised their findings. They stated that their study challenges conjecture reports about the benign nature of sibling incest.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors cautioned that readers should not generalize the above findings since they may not be applicable to all incestuous families. In order to fathom incest and implement its treatment, the authors suggested that practitioners should observe the type of incest, its context, participants ages, family dynamics and individualistic psychopathologies within the family.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
Sexual Assault Causes
Sexual Assault Offender
Sibling Violence Causes
Sibling Violence Offender
Sibling Incest
Domestic Violence Causes
Domestic Violence Offender
Family Dynamics
Family Environment
Family Relations
Incest Causes
Incest Offender
Juvenile Male
Juvenile Violence
Juvenile Offender
Case Studies
Male Offender
Male Violence
Offender Characteristics
Treatment Recommendations
Parent Child Relations
Psychological Evaluation
Language: en |