Incest continues to take its toll in many families

Incest exists in any type of family: it is not linked to socio-economic conditions, neither to the intellectual level, nor to the religious, political or philosophical convictions of the family, in the same way the aggressor can be a woman as well. that a man.

Although incest is a universal prohibition and above all a crime, it is not punished or defined as such in certain countries of the world.

Several companies have also admitted incest between brother and sister. The most characteristic example is that of Egyptian society, in which marriage between two children of the same siblings was a common practice.

It is not the same for French society which has a deeply rooted aversion to incestuous sexual relations.

Incest in numbers

In France, around 20% of women and 5 to 10% of men (which represents two million people) say they have suffered sexual violence in their childhood within their family.

The Council of Europe estimates that one in five children under 18 is the victim of sexual violence, 70% to 80% of which is committed within the family sphere.

The consequences on the victims

The consequences for the victims of this scourge are both immediate and long term. In addition, the symptoms multiply over time.

As with rape victims, sexual assault within the family infects both physical and psychological health.

Incest is so traumatic that the victim must in most cases, in order to survive, forget and plunge into denial or resenting his body for having been easy prey, often punishing it with addictive and dangerous behavior ( prostitution, drugs, alcohol, self-harm…).

Also, incest is a ticking time bomb in the minds of victims and they are often completely on their own when this bomb explodes years later. Not properly treated on time, the consequences can be terrible, and have an impact on their health, their sexuality, their relationship, their social relations and their professional future.

Some symptoms:

• Low self-esteem.
• Phobias, panic, anxiety.
• Night terrors while having nightmares (especially rape, chase, being a prisoner).
• Bad or distorted body image (prostitution, pornography, etc.).
• Drug and / or alcohol addictions.

Incest is such a traumatic experience that victims can suffer lifelong consequences.