This study delves into the complex meanings and experiences surrounding Real Family Incest, focusing on how women who identify as survivors and their partners understand this sensitive issue within their lives and relationships. Departing from pre-defined notions of incest, this research embraced a social constructionist approach, allowing participants to shape the definition through their narratives.
Conducted as a qualitative exploration, the research involved in-depth interviews with ten couples, comprising both heterosexual and lesbian partnerships. Crucially, at least one partner in each couple self-identified as a survivor of intrafamilial sexual abuse during childhood. All participating survivors were actively engaged in therapy throughout the study, highlighting the deeply personal and often challenging nature of their experiences. Partners were informed about the survivor’s history, and all participants were adults aged eighteen and over.
The interviews explored several core themes, aiming to understand the multifaceted impact of these experiences. Researchers investigated the family backgrounds of both survivors and their partners, seeking to understand their childhood environments and coping mechanisms, both past and present. The study further examined the elements that facilitated healing for survivors, recognizing this as a crucial aspect of their journey. Finally, the research probed the enduring effects of sexual abuse and early family dynamics on the couples’ current relationships and their connections with their families of origin.
A significant portion of the interviews was dedicated to the participants’ understanding and articulation of “healing.” While the study’s scope did not permit a complete deconstruction of the varied meanings and influences shaping this concept of healing, the research offers valuable descriptions of what survivors identified as crucial elements in their personal healing processes.
This dissertation, utilizing social constructionism and symbolic interactionism, provides valuable insights into the lived realities of real family incest survivors and their partners. It underscores the importance of understanding incest not merely as a legal or clinical definition, but as a deeply personal and socially constructed experience with profound implications for individuals and their closest relationships.
Recommended Citation:
Osborn, Janet L., “When the monsters under your bed are real: The social construction of incest” (1997). Marriage and Family Therapy – Dissertations. 39. https://surface.syr.edu/mft_etd/39
