NCJ Number
143514
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: (May/June 1993) Pages: 371-381
Date Published
1993
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examined the attribution of blame by mental health professionals in father-daughter incest cases with respect to the influence of professional affiliation, gender, experience in treating victims and perpetrators, and years of clinical experience.
Abstract
A sample of 101 licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and counselors completed a demographic questionnaire, the Jackson Incest Blame Scale, and a questionnaire that assigned blame for father-daughter incest. A factor analysis of the Jackson Incest Blame Scale yielded six factors rather than the four reported in previous research supporting the hypothesis that attribution of blame is a more complex phenomenon than previously thought. The majority of blame was assigned to the father perpetrator, with mothers and societal factors receiving a small percentage, and daughter victims none of the blame. Clinician experience in treating incest victims, gender of respondent, and professional affiliation differentiated attitudes towards family, situational, and societal blame. The more experienced the clinician, the more consideration was given to factors other than perpetrator and victim characteristics. Professional affiliation was significant only with regard to situational factors; psychologists and psychiatrists tended to blame situational factors more than social workers and counselors. Male professionals attributed more significance to other environmental influences than did female professionals. 5 tables and 27 references