Attribution of blame in incest cases: a comparison of mental health professionals.
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. A sample of 101 licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and counselors completed a demographic questionnaire, the Jackson Incest Blame Scale, and questionnaire assigning 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.
Reidy
T J
TJ
La Rabida Children's Hospital and Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL.
Hochstadt
N J
NJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007179:Incest; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce