Innocent seducer or innocently seduced? the role of the child incest victim

Abstract

Incest victims have frequently been held responsible for their victimization. Using the reported passivity of the victims during the incest relationship, the rationalizations of incest offenders, the pre‐incest promiscuity occasionally reported in the victims'as well as the victims’ behavior in therapy, researchers have frequently concluded that the child encouraged, seduced, or otherwise brought on the victimization. This paper focuses on the familial context of incest and how that context contributes to the alleged seductiveness of the child. When that context is fully appreciated, the culpability of the child diminishes.