ARE SUPPORT GROUPS EFFECTIVE FOR VICTIMS OF INCEST
Sexual abuse of children by family members continues to come to the attention of mental health professionals as does the exploration for the most appropriate treatment of incest. This paper investigates the question as to whether support groups may offer the most effective modality for treatment of incest victims. An introduction to the problem, characteristics of support group treatment of incest victims, the group process, outcomes of support group treatment of incest victims, and conclusions will be included in this presentation.
Knight (1997) defines sexual abuse and/or incest as referring to sexual contact that takes place between a child and an individual that is in a position of power or authority, not restricted to a family member. Thus a critical part of the relationship which leads to abuse is the child's powerlessness relative to the offender. The perpetrator is usually defined as the child's caretaker, which ranges from parent to babysitter. The abuse includes a range of sexual activities to include fondling, masturbation, exposure to pornography, oral sex, and vaginal and anal intercourse.
Symptoms and needs of the incest survivor are well documented. Adult female incest survivors are vulnerable with feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem, lack of trust, and tendencies for interpersonal and intrapersonal difficulties. They tend to distance themselves from others, accepting responsibility for the sexual abuse and suffering from guilt, depression, and isolation. Victims tend to feel powerless and helpless in relationships fearing further abuse. They content with overwhelming feelings of rage and loss which may be feared and therefore denied. In some cases the feelings remain repressed (Knight, 1990).
Ratican (1992) further identifies symptoms of childhood incest to include anxiety, depression, self-destructive tendencies, intimate relationship diffi...