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Father-daughter Incest

Father-daughter incest is known to cause a number of problems in the lives of its victims. For example, women who were sexually abused by their fathers tend to experience depression, low self-esteem, difficulty in expressing emotions, and sexual dysfunctions. There are several theories which seek to explain the causes of father-daughter incest. Some theories focus on Sigmund Freud's conception of the Oedipal fantasy. Other theories are concerned with the patriarchal power of the father within the family. Some research has suggested that the victims of father-daughter incest are themselves responsible for transmitting the problem from one generation to the next. Perhaps the most reasonable theory of all is that which takes into account the roles of all three primary figures: the father, the daughter and the mother. According to this theory, each of the individual family members are unable to break the cycle of incestuous behavior on their own. This theory is helpful in the treatment of father-daughter incest because it looks upon the family as a unit and avoids pitting the individual members against one another.

The effects of father-daughter incest on its victims are most often seen when the victims have become adults. Such effects are particularly noticeable after the victims have started families of their own. It is generally accepted that former victims of father-daughter incest have difficulty in -expressing their emotions. This problem is a key element in describing the adult relationships of the victims. Thus, the families of former victims are typically characterized by "a lack of trust, empathy, and respect for others in the family system, problems in the assertive expression of feelings, and inappropriate coping skills in the areas of grief and conflict resolution" (Carson, Gertz, Donaldson & Wonderlich, 1990, p. 165). Diamond (1989) points out that incest victims often grow up to experience depression and lo...

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Father-daughter Incest. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 17:50, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1705061.html