The Dark Life-altering Effects of Incest

In incest with an innocent child, the marks of the sexual encounter usually last a lifetime. The threats and abuse create deep scars that are all but impossible to be healed. The scars form on at least three levels. Most adults who were incest victims as children have emotional, relational, and sexual scars even if the possible physical scars vanish. It is unfair of any adult to inflict this potentially life altering abuse on a child to just to gratify their own demented desires.

The emotional scars are manifested in several ways. Many who were molested by relatives in childhood struggle to believe that they are able to make sound decisions. This is the result of doubts inflicted brought on by their inability to say no to the adult perpetrator. For these people, even the most mundane of daily choices can become an exercise in frustration. Often in their quest to understand the what and why behind the abuse they received, this deficit in their life is overlooked. It is frequently in middle adulthood that the victim finally is able to come to terms with the fact that the past cannot be fixed, but with diligent effort, the present can be repaired.

Another emotional reminder can be a flash temper or out of control emotions that swing from tears to joy and back again irrationally. Their inability to see life events clearly leaves them with mixed responses to stimuli that they aren't sure how to view.

The relational scars often keep them from bonding correctly with their own children. They can become overly protective or overly permissive.

With their spouses, they frequently lack the trust that the marital relationship requires to be stable and enduring. The spouses of these victims can become frustrated due to lack of understanding of the nature of the demons that haunt their loved one. Even in the most committed relationship, the resulting stresses can erode the fabric that binds them together until separation and divorce follow.

Sexually, these individuals can swing from cold to promiscuous. While it is sometimes possible for certain individuals to become well-adjusted in this area, it is rare. Their fear of the pain that the childhood encounter brings up blocks the ability for some to enjoy relations with their spouse. For others, sex becomes tantamount to love. So, they believe that having sex is the way that love is expressed. When they choose to give their love to someone, it will often come attached to intimacy.

The lost innocence of childhood is likely to become the uncontrolled emotions, unsatisfying relationships, and uncertain sexual expressions of an unhappy and unadjusted adult. The victims are endless. The child starts the chain. His or her children, spouse, and many others who enter into relationships with them are potential victims of the warped personality that chose to molest a child that they should have loved. At times, unfortunately, sometimes the cycle becomes repeated in subsequent generations. Without strong intervention and counseling, most do not make a full recovery from this type of abuse.