Incest is a betrayal of trust through sexual activity between biological or marital relatives. It manifests either in the form of a "consensual" relationship, as with a brother and sister, or in the more common form of non-consensual abuse. Further, incest offenders project their sexual expression both overtly and covertly by means of inappropriate touching, verbal seduction, abuse, objectification, intercourse, sodomy, direct threats and implied threats.
Perpetrators of incest are both men and women, although the majority are men. Both girls and boys are victimized, with the majority of victims being girls. Perpetrators may include: grandfathers and grandmothers, fathers and mothers, uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters. Incest cuts across lines of race and class. Incestuous abuse may start as early in a child's life as a few months old and may last throughout the teen years and into adulthood.
Statistics
? 4.5% of women report an incestuous experience with fathers or stepfathers before the age of 18. 4.9% of women report an incestuous experience with an uncle before the age of 18 (The Secret Trauma, Diana Russell, Basic Books, 1986).
? A random survey of 2,627 women and men conducted by the Los Angeles Times found that 27% of the women and 16% of the men had been incestuously abused as children (By Silence Betrayed, John Crewsdon, Little Brown, 1988).
? When incest occurs between siblings, 26% of the cases are same sex, with 16% between brothers and 10% between sisters (Healing the Incest Wound, Christine Courtois, Norton Professional Books, 1988).
? African Americans are victimized in childhood at the same rates as Caucasians. They report being more severely abused with greater use of force. African American girls are more often abused by relatives other than their fathers; often the offender is an uncle ("The Long-Term Effects of Incestuous Abuse: A Comparison of African American and White American Victims," Diana Russell, et al. Lasting Effects of Child Sexual Abuse, ed. By Gail E. Wyatt, Sage Publications, 1988).
? 66% of all prostitutes were sexually abused as children. 66% of sexually abused prostitutes were abused by fathers, step-fathers or foster fathers. ("Treatment of Prostitution Victims of Sexual Abuse," Mimi Silbert, Victims of Sexual Aggression, ed. By Irving Stuart and Joanne Greer, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1984).
? 68% of incest incidents take place in the victims home (Russell, 1986).
? Men abuse children with greater frequency than women do. 95% of sexual abuse of girls and 80% of sexual abuse of boys is committed by men (Courtois, 1988).
Aftereffects
Incest is an experience which affects a survivor's life in many ways. The following is only a partial list of possible aftereffects survivors may experience for years into their adult life:
? Low self-esteem
? Self-blame, guilt
? Vulnerability toward revictimization
? Depression
? Difficulty sustaining relationships and building trust
? Alcohol or drug problems
? Anxiety, the need for control in relationships
? Post-traumatic stress reactions
? Eating disorders
? Dissociative reactions
? Sexual dysfunctions
? Flashbacks and bad memories
Also, many victims of incest may not have memories of it ever happening. Some will not have these memories because the abuse occurred while they were very young. Many abuse victims will report that the actual physical sexual abuse was not the worst aspect of the experience; rather, it was carrying such a powerful secret that must be protected. Others may have literally pushed the memories from their conscious mind in order to survive the abuse. In either case, the victim/survivor may feel as if something occurred and may eventually regain the memories of the abuse. Whether they remember the abuse or not, victims/survivors may still experience the above aftereffects.
Healing
People who experience incest have experienced violation of trust and sexual exploitation, but they can and do survive. There is no one "right way" to heal. Many will heal with the help of a counselor/therapist and/or support group and others will heal on their own. Once a survivor has made a commitment to address incest issues, it may take an average of 3-8 years of therapy to heal.
Adult survivors of incest who are beyond their early twenties and wish to take legal action against their perpetrators must do so in a civil law suit. They must bring the suit forward within the time outlined in the statute of limitations. In most cases, this is within 2-3 years of remembering the incest and recognizing it as the cause of injury. Please refer to the Statute of Limitations for more information.
Georgia penal statutes for sex crimes
Georgia Statutes search page
No Contact Order
Nurturing Yourself
Adult Survivors of childhood Sexual Assault
Civil Legal Remedies for Sexual Assault Survivors
PTSD & Complex PTSD
Definitions of Sexual Assault
Southern Crescent Sexual Assault Center 770-603-4045
24 Hr Crisis Line 770-477-2177 Henry Co. Office
770-507-7772
Debbie Lillard, LCSW
404-286-1177
Odyssey Family Counseling Center 404-669-3462
McDonough Office
770-957-6256
Ga. Council on Child Abuse
1-800-532-308
Ga. Commission on Family Violence 404-657-3412
Securus House 770-961-7233
RAINN 24 Hr. Hotline
1-800-656-Hope(4673)
National Hope Line (suicide Hotline) 1-800-784-2433
Legal Help Numbers:
Rogers & Howard, LLC
404-373-4200
Atlanta Legal Aid Society
404-377-0701
Family Law Information Center
404-335-2789
* being extremely irritable
* anxiety
* nightmares
* bedwetting
* genital irritation
* scared of being alone, etc.
If you suspect that a child is being sexual abused, call and get help for that child immediately.
Marie Waldrep
Thank You.
Marie W.
Diana Winslow
Marie Waldrep