Voices of the Blamed: Mothers' Responsiveness to Father-Daughter Incest

This study documents the experiences of mothers of female incest survivors. Six women whose daughters were sexually abused by their fathers or step-fathers were interviewed in depth. The findings demonstrated that not only had these mothers received little support from their communities, they were also blamed and misrepresented. Although the mothers were victims of gender inequality and of the incestuous relationship, they were held responsible for the abuse by the courts and social agencies and were expected to cope with minimal and inadequate services. The findings indicate a need for reconstructing present assumptions about incest.