Citation

McCormack A, Rokous FE, Hazelwood RR, Burgess AW. J. Fam. Violence 1992; 7(3): 219-228.

Affiliation

University of Massachusetts, 01854 Lowell; Department of Clinical Psychology, Yale University, 06520 New Haven, Connecticut; F.B.I. Academy, Behavioral Sciences Unit, Quantico, Virginia; Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing University of Pennsylvania School

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/BF00979029

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper explores the phenomenon of male incest in a sample of 41 incarcerated serial rapists. Of 31 men who reported childhood sexual abuse (penetration, exploitation, and/or witnessing), just over half were victims of incest. All incestuous experiences occurred before puberty, and the majority of the experiences were protracted in nature. When compared to nonincest victims of sexual abuse, incest victims were more likely to report parental physical abuse and to describe their childhood family structure at 16 years of age as reconstituted (step-parent present). In all cases in which the step-father was implicated in the abuse, the abuse was of the witnessing variety (i.e., the boy witnessed sexual activity that he found disturbing). Incest victims were significantly more likely than non-incest victims to re-enact sexually abusive behavior within the family. This finding suggests that clinical discoveries of sibling sexual activity should alert clinicians that other incestuous activities may be occurring or have taken place.