Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!caip!sri-spam!nike!ucbcad!ucbvax!decvax!wanginst!apollo!nazgul
From: nazgul@apollo.uucp (Kee Hinckley)
Newsgroups: net.singles,net.med,net.bio
Subject: Re: why not incest?
Message-ID: <2f11f38e.46@apollo.uucp>
Date: Wed, 23-Jul-86 20:37:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: apollo.2f11f38e.46
Posted: Wed Jul 23 20:37:38 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 25-Jul-86 08:46:22 EDT
References: <2588@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU> <892@ucbcad.BERKELEY.EDU> <1069@ttrdc.UUCP> <100@tekirl.UUCP>
Reply-To: nazgul@apollo.UUCP (Kee Hinckley)
Distribution: net
Organization: Apollo Computer, Chelmsford, MA
Lines: 55
Xref: watmath net.singles:14691 net.med:4271 net.bio:629

In article <100@tekirl.UUCP> donch@tekirl.UUCP (Don Chitwood) writes:
> So far I've read only genetic considerations of incest.  How about humanizing 
> the discussion by looking at the psychological impact on the parties involved.
> 
> Specifically, in the case of father/daughter incest, the effect of mating with
> her father can be profoundingly devastating to the daughter.  I'm not an 
> authority by any means.  Let's hear from some of the mental health 
> professionals.

Everyone here's a mental health professional in one way or another.  :-)
Will you settle for a minor in Psych and a major in Anthro?

My understanding of cases that I have read about are that there are two
major problems.  The first is simply that of sexual abuse (simply?).
This is in the case of a minor daughter and father.  You have all the
problems of child abuse, heightened by the fact that the father is
no longer playing his traditional role; so the daughter no longer knows
how she is supposed to behave with him, or he with her.  [A side note,
this is really just as valid with mother and son relationships too.
The only saving grace there is that the son may be older when it happens
and thus more capable of coping.]  The other problem is one of secrecy.
I think that the posting from Jason on coming out of the closet is a
good example of this.  When everything around you indicates that what
you are doing is wrong and bad and twisted, it's hard for you to cope.
The whole thing is bottled up inside and you potentially end up with
a very confused and screwed up person.  If the son or daughter is
older and has a better understanding of what they are doing this
problem may be lessened.  Even so, it is hard to remain sane and
together when everything around you says you are bad - even if you
are convinced that you aren't.

-- Slight topic orientation change

The real killer here is the problem of coercion.  It's not enough
to apply the standards of force or threats that might be used in 
a normal rape case.  What if the child did it only because he/she
wanted the parent's love, and felt this was the only way to give
it, even if it wasn't "normal" love?  In any relationship like
that the question of coercion is real sticky.  My tendency is to
feel that things are extremely unlikely to work out to everyones
benefit and happiness unless it was a real together family and
things were initiated by the children.  But there are just too many
ways screw up.  Think about the last time you broke up with a sexual.
partner.  Now try to imagine if that partner had been your parent!
And what about jealousy when you go dating?  Or jealousy of the
other parent?  My mind boggles.

                                              -kee
--
Mail is welcome...       ...{yale,uw-beaver,decvax!wanginst}!apollo!nazgul
                       Apollo Computer, Chelmsford MA.  (617) 256-6600 x7587

I'm not sure which upsets me more; that people are so unwilling to accept
responsibility for their own actions, or that they are so eager to make the 
government regulate everyone else's.