Incest and family dynamics: A clinical study

Abstract

In the past, analysis of the problem of incest has tended to focus on one of two areas, either the family situation or the individual characteristics of the actors in the incestuous relation. Although the two have overlapped in certain individual studies, few have placed the problem in the context of “family dynamics.” Through a dynamic approach more than the presence or contribution of various factors is noted; an effort is made to discover the interaction of factors, their mutual dependence in the phenomena of incest. Such an approach may disclose some of the recipe for incest, rather than the mere list of ingredients. An attempt has been made to incorporate elements of such a method in a study of nine cases of incest that occurred among the poorer classes in northern Italy. Note, however, that neither this study nor a dynamics approach denies the value of various factor analyses of family situations and individual mental states. A review of studies in these two areas would indeed serve to quickly bring forth the relevant incest factors that would be essential to any study of the topic.