Incest: Help for Nonabusing Parents

PAGE 3

You may find that supporting your child is a challenge. Victims have a wide range of reactions to abuse. Your child...

Might want to talk about the abuse all the time.
Might not want to talk at all.
Might not want to talk to you, but may be confiding in someone else.
Might be angry at you for not protecting them.
Might be angry at you for ending the abuse.
Might be experiencing a range of other reactions. It is difficult to predict how a victim will respond, and it may change over time.

Remember that there is no "right" way for a victim to respond to abuse. The process of healing from incest can take a long time and can be very frustrating. Sometimes it can feel like there is no progress at all! This can be especially frustrating for people who are trying to support the victim.

How to help someone still involved in an incest situation

Published 10/13/2009