CHARACTERISTICS OF INCEST OFFENDERS' WIVES.

Groff, M.G.

The article presents characteristics of incest offenders' wives. Wives of incest offenders have been considered to play a pivotal role in the development of incestuous relationships between men and children. It has been hypothesized that these spouses emotional aloofness causes their husbands to look elsewhere for emotional and sexual gratification. In the case of father-daughter incest, it has been suggested that the mothers' dependency and inadequacy draw daughters into the role of wife with their fathers. The aim of the present study was to delineate some of the personality and demographic characteristics of these wives and their role in incestuous relationships. Comparison groups, for these spouses included their husbands and a group of women referred for evaluation to a pain clinic. The pain clinic women were used as a comparison group because they matched the incest women in geographic location and were involved in a treatment program, as were the incest wives. The study comprised of 26 married couples who were involved in a community treatment program for child sexual abuse.

INCEST; SEX crimes; SEXUAL intercourse; CHILD sexual abuse; INCEST offenders; SEX offenders

Journal of Sex Research, 1987, Vol 23, Issue 1, p91

0022-4499

Academic Journal

10.1080/00224498709551344