The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on incest. To this end, the paper begins with definitional statements about the topic. The history and etiology of incest are then examined; and, finally, articles on the structure of the incestuous family are explored.
According to Allgeier and Allgeier (1985):
In general, incest refers to any sexual interaction between people who are related closely enough so that marriage between them would be illegal. (p.579)
As defined by these authors, incest can take several forms: parent-child, grandparent-grandchild, and sibling-sibling. However, Nass, Libby and Fisher (1981) have noted that many scholars define incest more broadly, including more relatives than those in the immediate family (e.g. cousins) as well as step-relatives, and in-laws. The authors feel that the broader definition is troublesome in that it includes relationships that are more contractual than incestuous; for example, a married woman who has sexual intercourse with her brother-in-law would be engaging in a incestuous relationship under the broader definition.
Evans (1988) defines incest as one form of sexual boundary violations characteristic of sexual abuse. What distinguishes Evan's definition from the just cited definitions is that it includes a coercive element; and it is coercion that is typically of most incestuous relationships because in most a child is involved. This coercive element does not necessarily refer to threatening actions on the part of the perpetrator; but rather, it denotes that the child is not a consenting partner because he or she often does not understand what it is that is being consented to, nor does the child feel free to say "no." Evans divides incest into two categories:
(1) covert incest manifesting itself in behaviors such as inadvertent touching, household voyeurism, physical punishment while naked, sexual hugs, ridicule of developing bodies, interpreting...