Incest

Incest

Incest is one of the most interesting taboos of our time. The definition of incest is a highly controversial topic. Yet, the definition of incest is one of the most important definitions for the people involved, though the law's and psychologists' meanings are not much the same. Incest needs to be similarly defined for the incestuous parties, both by the law and by psychologists. The definition of incest should be determined by the cases of incest. The people who commit incest, and the types of incest should be considered when making this definition for the law. Why incest occurs has a great deal to do with the people and the types of incest. With the definition dissimilar between the law and psychologists, it is very difficult for the involved to do anything about it.

The definition is both stated as wrong by law and by most religious morals.

According to psychologists, incest is defined as A- any intimate physical contact that is sexually arousing between non-married members of a family."

(Justice, pg 25) What this is interpreted as is that sexual intercourse does not need to occur for a situation to be considered incestuous. Stroking, fondling, or even intimately kissing can be considered incest. This is not all true for the law's definition. In Georgia, incest is defined as any sexual intercourse between known relatives, by blood or by marriage, (meaning a step-parent and step-child.) Incest laws basically exist to prohibit marriage or inbreeding between family members, and the sentences are almost never carried out. (Kosof, pg 53) So incest is stated as wrong, but not enforced. The Bible states that incest is wrong, just as the law does. ACursed be he who has relations with his father's wife... Cursed be he who has relations with his sister or half-sister!"

(Deu 27:20,22.) Therefore, the definition can be altered to fit the needs of the definer. The different forms of incest are as follows: father-daughter, mother- son, brother-sister, and father-son. Conditions of incest don't always involve intercourse, but still hurt the included. So, the conditions should help to define the firm meaning. "But surely at fourteen, I should have been capable of escaping..." (Armstrong, pg 7) Father-daughter is the most common form of incest. Three-fourths of all reported cases usually involve dad and his oldest daughter. It is usually non-...

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...ween mother and father. Mom either denies dad sex, there is a major life crisis, or opportunity knocks. The opportunity for incest occurs when mother is gone all the time and so the daughter assumes the role of the mother. When this happens, there is a need for treatment. This is when the definition of incest is most important. The children are very scared and need confidence. If he/she tells a psychologist or teacher, that person is required by law to tell the authorities. (Kosof, pg 53) When the authorities are contacted, the definition comes into play. The child wants to feel safe, and if their definition of incest doesn't live up to the law's, then the charges could be dropped and the child gets into more problems with incest.

Therefore, the background of the incest is very important to the law's definition. By the people involved, the form, and why it occurs are critical to helping the child out when defining the term. The definition of incest by the law should be closer to the definition of psychologists in order to help out the family. AIt is evident that we still know very little about how to treat the sexual offender and the abused child effectively." (Kempe, pg 109)