Breaking the Link: Nursing Intervention in the Incestuous Family

Breaking the Link: Nursing Intervention in the Incestuous Family

Incest happens. It happens over and over again. People hear about it; people read about it. There is a definite reluctance, however, on the part of society to recognize the reality of incest, to stand accountable for this reality, and to deal effectively with it.

Incest is happening more and more often. A study was done by the American Humane Association in 1969 that estimated that 5,000 cases of incest occured annually. However, recent referral rates in California project a national level of 50,000 new cases per year. Similar studies project that 32 to 83 percent of reported cases involve parent offenders. This means that 16,000 to 41,500 new cases of reported incest each year involve parents. It is important to realize that these numbers do not reflect the total numbers only reflect new cases - not ongoing cases. When one considers the total number of potential incest cases it becomes readily apparent that our society must recognize the reality of incest, must stand accountable for this reality, and must begin to deal effectively with this reality.