Towards Justice for Incest Survivors - ressourcesfeministes

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ARTICLE TOWARDS JUSTICE FOR INCEST SURVIVORS Incestuous abuse is one of the most neglected, miisunderstood and taboo topics patriarchal societies. Although Levett has written a doctoral dissertation and many articles in which she attempts to refute the contention that incestuous abuse is often a damaging experience for victims, she has never conducted empirical research on incest survivors that could substantiate or contradict this contention.5 Fortunately, most other South African scholars who have addressed this issue, recognise that incest survivors frequently suffer from short- and long-term negative consequences (see Collings, 1994; Sandier and Sepel, 1990; Theart, 1988). Mostaboo topic Incestuous abuse is one of the most neglected, misunderstood and taboo topics in the field of violence against females in South Africa. The relative silence about it increases the suffering of incest victims/survivors, as well as protects the perpetrators and allows them to continue 'their destructive behaviour unpunished. Because of the many injustices to incest survivors, it is importanto formulate some of the reforms that are needed to remedy the appalling circumstances in which many incest survivors are still trapped. REFORMS SURVIVORS Many people believe that family privacy is sacrosanct and should take precedence over issues of child and wife abuse, particularly incestuous abuse. Hence the rights and welfare of the incest victim are frequently sacrificed for the presumed welfare of the rest of the family. This is a major reason why this article addresses justice for incest survivors, rather than all survivors of child sexual abuse. Nevertheless, many of the reforms advocated here include, and would benefit, all victims/survivors of childhood sexual victimisation. No attempt is made to substantiate the findings and assertions made in the following proposals. This is because proposals drafted by activists do not typically try to meet academic standards of scholarship. Aside from having conducted research on incestuous abuse in the US and South Africa, I am also an activist. For example, I was instrumental in starting Women United Against Incest in Cape Town in 1993, referred to above.6 NATIONAL TASK FORCE A National Task Force on Incestuous Abuse7 should be set up to formulate policies to prevent incestuous abuse, as well as to propose ameliorative policies to stop ongoing cases of such abuse, to help incest victims/survivors to recover and to seek legal redress. The task force should also develop strategies to implement reforms that its members and other concerned individuals and organisations have devised, and will devise, in the future. This task force should include experts on incestuous abuse, appointed by special committees set up by the Attorney Generals' offices throughouthe country. At least 25 percent of the task force appointees should be incest survivors who are willing to forego their anonymity in order to ensure that the reforms are truly sensitive to the needs of incest victims and survivors. Prospective appointees should be rigorously questioned about their views on incestuous abuse, their general understanding of gender oppression and how incestuous abuse fits into this form of oppression. Because incestuous abuse is a crime committed largely against girls by their male relatives, it is helpful to conceptualise it as a manifestation of the gender and age inequality that prevails in the traditional patriarchal family.8 By diminishing and disempowering children in this way, incest perpetrators augment the already enormous power imbalance. It follows that incestuous abuse will remain a serious problem as long as male domination in the home persists. It is also importanto recognise that the 66 AGENDA
TOWARDS JUSTICE FOR INCEST SURVIVORS ARTICIF incestuous abuse of females by males is a political offence that both reflects and perpetuates the unequal power relations between men and women. The fact that incestuous abuse entails exploitation in intimate relationships is not a sound reason for denying the role perpetrators play in keeping females subserviento males.9 The so-called sanctity be used as a rationale and exploitation resulting of the family cannot for ignoring the pain from the sexual abuse of women and children. PREVENTION STRATEGIES Educating all sectors of society about incestuous abuse would contribute to prevention as it would increase the credibility of children who disclose such experiences. In turn, this would mean that more perpetrators would be challenged and interrupted. Since many incest perpetrators abuse more than one child, the timely and competent handling of one disclosure could prevent further abuse of other victims. Primary prevention refers to all efforts to forestall incestuous abuse before it occurs, whereasecondary prevention refers to efforts to intervene and/or treathe abuse after it has already occurred (Albee and Swift, 1995). Given the magnitude of the problem of incestuous abuse as well as the fact that only a minute percentage of cases are ever reported or come to the attention of authorities, priority needs to be given to primary prevention efforts. PRIMARY PREVENTION A great deal of ignorance, apathy and prejudice about incestuous abuse still prevails in South Africa. Some of the worst E > />_ ~~hs lb... v) ,j~1IT4G ~ ~1hat tire ber 'n HICili9al '0 ! 1optio Ln 0:- 44 irp offenders in this regard are the professionals who come into contact with incest survivors: lawyers, judges, psychiatrists, therapists and social workers, priests and ministers, and policemen." Concerted efforts must be made to educate all members of these professions abouthe reality of incestuous abuse. Children also need to be educated about child sexual abuse. Such awareness programmes have been implemented in several countries, for example Bahamas, Canada, Costa Rica, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, US and UK. They involve the use of role-playing techniques to inform children. South Africa should incorporate such prevention programmes into the school curricula. Programmes that have proved to be the most effective in other countries should be adapted for use in South Africa. Since empowering children is no guarantee that they will not be sexually abused, particularly in their families, it is vital that these programmes also encourage them to report any experiences of sexual victimisation to a trusted adult. It is also important to emphasise that they are not to blame for being sexually abused. Although some critics objecthat teaching children about ways to protecthemselves places the burden on children, rather than on adults, such classes do help to prevent abuse. However, parents and school staff must also be AGENDA 67 Incestuous abuse of females by males is a political offence
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