Forty women who had had incestuous relationships with their fathers
during childhood were compared with 20 women whose fathers had been
seductive but not overtly incestuous. More of the women who had experienced
overt incest reported that their fathers had been violent and that their
mothers had been chronically ill, disabled, or battered. Untreated
depression, alcoholism, or psychosis or repeated involuntary childbearing
were most commonly cited as causes of impaired maternal functioning. Women
who had experienced overt incest had a higher rate of running away, suicide
attempts, and pregnancy during adolescence than the comparison group. The
authors suggest that clinicians be alert to the possibility of incest in
families which contain a violent father, a disabled mother, or an
"acting-out" adolescent girl.Abstract Teaser