Lesson 5: Incest Attention
This video discusses a couple in Germany who, despite being brother and sister, have fallen in love and have had 4 children together. The line between morality and law continues to be tested in cases like this that seek to define what sorts of relationships are OK. Click HERE to view this video on YouTube directly Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:
Teaching 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! The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) reports the following statistics regarding children who are the victims of sexaual abuse:
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. The Effects of 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 personality 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 indivuals who carried the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (or as we are learning here, Complex Post-truamatic 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:
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. Assessment Lesson 5 Discussion In this discussion I would like to see you folks grapple with the story presented in the video at the top of this page. What does incest mean in situations like this? What is the relationship between choice, law, and social taboo...now, and in history? Lesson 5 Quiz In this assessment please answer the following question (be specific...your answer should be at least 200 words long):
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