The purpose of this research was to determine if a brief and focused training experience, based upon a multiple systems incest treatment model, would reduce attribution of incest blame. As increasing numbers of persons seek treatment for incestuous experiences, trained professionals will be needed who understand the complexities of incest and the impact of attributing blame.The present study utilized extensively Systemic Treatment of Incest: A Therapeutic Handbook by Trepper and Barrett (1989) as a basis for training. Seventy five female and forty male upper level undergraduates enrolled in two Fundamentals of Counseling and two Techniques of Psychological Intervention courses served as subjects. A randomly assigned, two group post-test only design was employed. Participation in a three hour training experience served as the independent variable. The Attribution of Incest Blame Scale (AIBS) offender, mother, victim, societal, and situational blame subscales were dependent variables. It was hypothesized training would reduce levels of blame attribution and that male subjects would blame incest victims more than female subjects. Demographic variables and hypotheses were tested by MANOVA and ANOVA statistical procedures (alpha levels = <.05).Results indicated training had a significant effect in reducing offender and mother blame while increasing situational blame, Males blamed incest victims more than did females, replicating previous findings. Post-training qualitative evaluations suggested the "vulnerability to incest" paradigm, central to systemic treatment of incest, contributed to the findings. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

In reviewing the literature on adult survivors of child sexual abuse/incest, it became apparent that one area has remained in its infancy: a systematic method of symptom assessment. Symptoms, both short and long term, have become clinically well documented. An index, the Sexual Abuse Survivors Symptom Index (evaluating absence/presence, frequency, severity, and impact of symptoms upon the survivor), was developed rationally from the literature was administered. A background questionnaire, simplified from one already in use, was also administered to provide information regarding variables that could confound the research.Approximately 130 female adult clinical subjects were approached to determine whether they would participate in the study. Thirty-three subjects agreed to participate. Due to the small sample size, results of the factor analysis cannot be considered reliable. The principal component factor analysis did produce eight factors, which did not converge in the varimax rotation, however, three factors did emerge. The three factors represented an affective component (almost one half of the symptoms), a somatic/sexual component, and an acting out component.The background questionnaire provided some basic support to the variables the literature reported as affecting symptom severity or likelihood for abuse to occur. Areas endorsed as most severe or correlated strongly and moderately to individual symptoms were ones that were directly connected to the abuse(i.e., age of first inappropriate sexual experience, duration of the abuse, multiple abusers, frequency of the abuse, fear of being hurt by the abusers, and overt/contact type of abuse). The variables that influenced the likelihood for abuse to occur, (i.e., substance abuse, strictness, rigid religious traditions, and physical discipline) were endorsed by slightly less than one half of the subjects, but may have had severe impact individually upon each survivor of abuse. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services