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TRAUMAS OF FATHER-DAUGHTER INCEST.   Term Paper ID:21432 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Short & long-term effects, impact on identity, denial & memory recovery, disclosure, celebrity survivors, love for abusers.... More...

6 Pages / 1350 Words 4 sources, 16 Citations, APA Format $24.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Short & long-term effects, impact on identity, denial & memory recovery, disclosure, celebrity survivors, love for abusers. Paper Introduction: As a writer and former child-abuse victim, Laura Davis states, "All sexual abuse is damaging, and the trauma does not end when the abuse stops. If you were abused as a child, you are probably experiencing long-term effects that interfere with your day-to-day functioning" (Bass & Davis, 1990, p. 252). This research will examine the trauma of child sexual abuse, specifically incest between fathers and their daughters. The incest victim goes through a similar pattern of dealing with victimization, and often even the longterm effects experienced are similar. Some of the more common feelings and emotions of incest victims are shame, guilt, anger, confusion, and denial. Most studies group incest with all sexual-abuse victims so statistics on incest are hard to find; however, the number of incestuous sexual-abuse cases is either rapidly rising or being discl Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. I knew I had been physically and emotionally abused and I spoke of it often. As Van Derbur Alton saidon the night of the first disclosure of the abuse in public: From age five to 18 I was a victim of incest. By 1984, my anxiety and pain had begun to shut down my life completely. (1993, July-August). Because many cases of abuse still go unreported, the actual number of victims--who come from all social classes, races and religions--is probably much, much higher (Darnton, 1991, pp. Dissociation was Van Derbur Alton's initialreaction to handling her father's systematic sexual abuse of her from theages of 5 to 18: I don't remember how or when I split my mind. If you were abused as a child, you are probably experiencing long-termeffects that interfere with your day-to-day functioning" (Bass & Davis,199 , p. On most nights, precisely at 2 a.m., I would awaken in stark terror. She did not want to reveal the incident for fear ofrejection from loved ones, self-denial and shame. ReferencesBass, E., & Davis, L. The three-year period expiredafter the child reached maturity, or usually at about age 21. They imagine they dreamed it or thatit was a past life instead of confronting the pain, anger and confusion: This type of denial might seem surprising, but in reality, it is a necessary stage in dealing with traumatic pain. Tonight I stand before you an incest survivor. Arnoldalso recovered her memories about being abused in the same piecemeal way,filled with self-denial concurrently, that Van Derbur Alton experienced: Little flicks of memory kept coming and getting bigger and bigger. From age 18 until today I have taken a sleeping medication or lain awake all night. Survivors often go to great lengths todeny their abuse for various reasons. False memories are what some psychologists label this recent flurry ofindividuals who are suddenly disclosing that they are remembering beingsexually abused as a young child: "As behavioral scientists, we have great appreciation for the fact that memories can be distorted," declared 17 noted psychologists, all university affiliated. While the occasionalreport or disclosure of child abuse may be false, this is unlikely with VanDerbur Alton, when so many victims of sexual abuse report going throughsimilar patterns (on top of research that suggests these are real traumaticimpact reactions). 71). Celebrities have also been disclosing their child abuse in the mediain recent years. 7 -73.True tales of false memories. 253).Van Derbur Alton confirms these feelings when she explains about her owndenial: "You have to make up a fantasy world you live in and you need itto survive. Were we brainwashed? Bass and Davis (199 ) claim that theincest victim needs validation to feel whole and that "talking to peoplewho believe you and validate your experience is essential" (p. How did we fall so easily to the temptation of one global "answer" to all our symptoms? As one woman who claims to be a victim of incestherself reports (on being irked over all the reports that memories ofsexual abuse are false): What happened to us? Until 1988, most states had only a three-year statute oflimitations for sexual abuse in civil cases. Some of the morecommon feelings and emotions of incest victims are shame, guilt, anger,confusion, and denial. The courage to heal: Surviving the nightmare of incest. Too terrorized to move, I would lie in bed until morning. Cosmopolitan, pp. Many women carryaround within themselves the dark secret of shame, guilt, anger and fear--feelings that are the result of incest. A list of all my accomplishments, times 1 , pales before the most significant accomplishment of my life: I survived incest (Van Derbur Alton, 1991, p. 72). That's when the real healing started. No physical cause was found. 254). 71). 8 ).Counselors at the Kemper Center for child sexual abuse say it is "commonfor the child who is traumatized by sexual violation to dissociate" (VanDerbur Alton, 1991, p. By 199 , the number had leapt to 75, . In the vast majority of cases, we will never know" ("True Tales," 1993, p. 7 -71). Van Derbur Alton's sister finally disclosed that shetoo had been a victim of her father. 11-13.Van Derbur Alton, M. It was like bad memories times 1 (Darnton, 1991, p. 71). 71). Long-term effects were more severe for Marilyn Van Derbur Alton: I have never fallen asleep naturally. It was the beginning of a long series of mind and body reactions that continued for years. "However, few cases of childhood sexual abuse remembered in adulthood are verifiable. The pain of the last taboo. I sensed that a man was entering my bedroom. Celebrity victims agree that incest can only keepoccurring at its present high rates if it is kept secret: "'This is adisease that can only thrive in silence,' said Roseanne Arnold. This research will examine the trauma of child sexualabuse, specifically incest between fathers and their daughters. 78). Psychology Today, pp. ("True Tales," 1993, p. Newsweek, pp. It is simply too painful" (Darnton, 1991, p. For example, Roseanne Arnold, Oprah Winfrey, La ToyaJackson and others have claimed they were sexually abused by a male familymember as children. What is clearly needed is a moreopen and understanding atmosphere when the victim discloses her abuse.This is especially true about the difficult-to-accept theory that thesewomen are making these memories up for attention. 71). A typical case study in daughter-father incest victims is former MissAmerica 1958 Marilyn Van Derbur Alton. The incestvictim goes through a similar pattern of dealing with victimization, andoften even the long-term effects experienced are similar. I have never taken a nap. Say "incest" out loud. And until the fall of 1988, I had night terrors. Indeed, her memories seemed to come back as Arnold'shad: "The memories start to come back, not all at once, but slowly, littleby little" (Darnton, 1991, p. I do know that the terror of the night caused me, at some age, probably between five and six, to dissociate into the day and the night child. The day child knew nothing of the night child's existence. 8 ). McCall's, pp. Denial gives you a respite when you cannot bear to align yourself with that small, wounded child for another minute (Bass and Davis, 199 , p. 11). Kelly and PattiBarton were victims of sexual abuse by their father, and they chased himthrough two states, effectively lobbying in both to expand abuselegislation in Washington and Alaska: "In 1988, the legislation passed inWashington and 14 states have now passed similar legislation" (Darnton,1991, p. (199 , October). Denial plays a large part in helping to keep the memories of incestvictims repressed until later in life, when, over time, the memory of theabuse fits together piece by piece. As a writer and former child-abuse victim, Laura Davis states, "Allsexual abuse is damaging, and the trauma does not end when the abuse stops. Love for their abusers after the fact is one aspect of the incestvictim's identity that often confuses the outsider: One of the hardest aspects for outsiders to understand is the love that victims feel for their abusers, even after their memories return (Darnton, 1991, p. Most studies group incest with all sexual-abuse victims so statisticson incest are hard to find; however, the number of incestuous sexual-abusecases is either rapidly rising or being disclosed more often--more thanlikely both: In 1986, all of the nation's child protective agencies recorded 83, complaints against people responsible for the child's welfare. I became totally dysfunctional. Remembering and disclosure were the most difficult processes for VanDerbur Alton. (1991, September). When my daughter turned 5, I was hospitalized for three months with paralysis (I didn't understand that her age for me mirrored the age of my sexual abuse). 252). 252-256.Darnton, N. 72). It was only during my recovery that I understood what the night child felt (Van Derbur Alton, 1991, p. (1991, October 7). Incest has a dramatic impact on identity formation. This remembering usually occurs between the ages of 29 and 59, andthis statistic has helped expand incest-oriented legislation to favor thevictims more. Where did all that anger and rage really come from if we weren't really abused like we were led to believe? Arnold's passion is similar to Van Derbur Alton's exclamation thattrying to let people see her accomplishments times 1 could not compare tothe hurt of incest. 'I have asocial and moral obligation to speak out'" (Darnton, 1991, p. 11).However, contemporary psychologists and psychiatrists are not so sure:"There's a real phenomenon of recovering the lost memory of sexual abuse,"says child psychologist Elissa Benedek, one of the professors at theUniversity of Michigan (Darnton, 1991, p. The release of disclosure is often difficult because no one wants tobelieve the child. For instance, even after Van Derber Alton was anaccomplished businesswoman and even after she had won the Miss Americatitle, her mother refused to believe her when she disclosed to her motherthat her father had been abusing her sexually. She has experienced many of theemotional and identity problems associated with typical psychologicalassessments of incest victims. However, twoincest victims lobbied to change the law to define the statute oflimitations as three years after the memory was recalled. 78-85. But I didn't remember the sexual part until two years ago, when my head bust open. What made the motherfinally believe it? If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.