Lesson 5: Domestic Violence and Incest
Attention
The NFL produced this video for the Super Bowl in 2015
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z_zWIVRIWk
...what is the role of organizations such as the NFL in educating the public about violence? How effective do you think this sort of public service announcement is?
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:
- Reflect upon the relationship between incest, law, and social taboo
- Discuss the unique qualities of the assault of incest that distinguish it from other forms of abuse
Teaching
Read Chapter 5: Child Abuse in Hermon
Domestic Violence - According to Wikipedia
Domestic violence (also called domestic abuse, spousal abuse, intimate partner violence, battering or family violence) is a pattern of behavior which involves violence or other abuse by one person against another in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is violence by a spouse or partner in an intimate relationship against the other spouse or partner. Domestic violence can take place in heterosexual and same-sex family relationships, and can involve violence against children in the family. It also includes violence committed by children toward either parents, caregivers and/or other siblings.
This app, called Domestic Violence Information, contains a lot of information about Domestic Violence including: Quick Index - Quickly obtain the info. you need.
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Below are two links to other resources and information about domestic violence here in Maine.
Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence
This link presents resources for an individual in a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) relationship who is experiencing domestic violence. The information in the link below is really good information for anyone wondering what to do in a domestic violence situation.
What rights do I have as an LGBT victim of Domestic Violence?
Incest - According to Wikipedia:
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is either illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place or socially taboo. The type of sexual activity and the nature of the relationship between people that constitutes a breach of law or social taboo vary with culture and jurisdiction. Some societies consider it to include only those who live in the same household, or who belong to the same clan or lineage; other societies consider it to include "blood relatives"; other societies further include those related by adoption or marriage.
Note the reference to law and social norm as definitions of what is termed "incest"...there are societies, and certainly there are historical periods when incest was considering "normal"
I started to look up the history of incest in the world but could not find a reliable source outside of the forums...which tend to get pretty rude!
Historical Perspective on Incest
The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) reports the following statistics regarding children who are the victims of sexual abuse:
- 15% of sexual assault and rape victims are under age 12
- 29% are age 12-17
- 44% are under the age of 18
- 80% are under the age of 30
- 12-34 are the highest risk years
- Girls ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely that the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual abuse
- 7% of girls in grades 5-8 and 12% of girls in grades 9-12 said that they had been sexually abused
- 3% of boys grades 5-8 and 5% of boys in grades 9-12 said that they had been sexually abused
- 93% of juvenile sexual assault victims knew their attacker
- 34.2% of attackers were family members
- 58.7% were acquaintances
- Only 7% of the perpetrators were strangers to the victims
It is difficult to contemplate a "special" kind of abuse, but abuse from a family member seems to carry a special stigma and weight to the situation. There is also a history that indicates that for years a wife was also the property of her husband. As a result she was at the mercy of her spouse's behaviors, including beatings, rape and murder. It wasn't until the 1970's (not very long ago at all) that rape of a marital partner was considered against the law. Prior to that a woman had no legal recourse against a husband who was raping her. We continue to move forward with protections for vulnerable individuals and can only hope to see these protections increase.
The Effects of Domestic Violence and/or Incest
The strong bonds and expectations between family members makes incest a particularly troublesome issue. Victims often feel torn between defending themselves and defending family members who they love and depend upon.
Since many victims are children they are often much more powerless in effecting change in their situations even if they want to. Severe issues can arise that are difficult to contend with into adulthood. The impacts are often stunted development of the ability to engage in relationships, dissociative disorders, substance issues, and dependancies and other addictions.
On a personal note...when I was working in the Mental Health field I had the opportunity to work with many indivduals who carried the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (or as we are learning here, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Of these individuals I cannot remember any one of them who were not victims of some sort of ritualistic childhood sexual abuse...often incestual.
I'm not saying that all victims develop this disorder, nor am I saying that all individuals with this disorder have this history, but the connection is uncanny.
Common goals of treatment include:
- acknowledging and acceptance of the occurrence of the domestic violence and/or incest
- recounting the incest
- breakdown of feelings of isolation and stigma
- recognition, labeling, and expression of feelings
- resolution of responsibility and survival issues
- grieving
- cognitive restructuring of distorted beliefs and stress responses
- self-determination and behavior change
- education and skill-building
This is not a process that one wants to engage in outside of the therapy process...having substantial supports through this process of recovery is key to success. A mental health worker would support individuals in working through how their behaviors and emotions affect their every lives. With a therapist/counselor the person would work on the deeper emotional processes indicated in the bullets above.
Assessment
Lesson 5 Discussion A (for online course only)
In the Domestic Violence Information app there is a section about "Myths and Facts". Did any of these surprise you? Discuss at least one MYTH (or a FACT you found surprising) and how you reacted to it.
Lesson 5 Discussion B (for online course only)
One of the most troubling aspects of having experienced trauma is the ongoing "re-experiencing" that occurs due to flashback and nightmares. However, some contend that these "journeys into past events" are ways in which we "honor" their importance in our lives. By processing these events in this way, we may well be on the path toward recovery. Discuss your thoughts about flashbacks, nightmares, the process of re-experiencing trauma.
Lesson 5 Quiz
In this assessment please answer the following question (be specific...your answer should be at least 200 words long):
- In your mind, what is it about incest that distinguishes it from other forms of abuse and presents itself as particularly damaging both in the long and short term?