Evaluation of social and demographic characteristics of incest cases in a university hospital in Turkey.
BACKGROUND
Incest is defined as any sexual activity between close blood relatives including step relatives and family members who are forbidden by law to marry. It is a problem that can be seen in all the social classes in developed and undeveloped societies. The World Health Organization classifies this problem as a silent health emergency. Father-daughter incest is reported to be the most common incest type followed by the other types like brother-sister, sister-sister and mother-son incest.


METHODS
Subjects for this study were recruited from a sample of incest cases referred to Forensic Medicine Department of Gaziosmanpasa University Medical Faculty Hospital between 2008 and 2012. Data involved social and demographic characteristics and clinical features of victims, perpetrators and the families. The ethical committee of the faculty of medicine approved the study.


RESULTS
The study sample consisted of 43 incest cases (36 females and 7 males) with an age rage 4-40 years. Two third of the victims were under 18 years old. All perpetrators were males. Father - daughter incest (34.9%) was found to be most common incest type followed by brother - sister incest (14%). 75% of the perpetrators were family members and relatives with consanguinity while 25% of them were not consanguineous but faithful and intimate relatives to victims.


CONCLUSIONS
Increasing awareness about incest and its damaging effects is so important and clinicians should keep in mind sexual abuse or incest when examining the risky population. Multidisciplinary approach is necessary for determining short term or long term results and preventing the negative consequences of incest.
Department of Forensic Medicine, Gaziosmanpasa University Faculty of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
Ali
A
Yildirim
Department of Forensic Medicine, Gaziosmanpasa University Faculty of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
Erdal
E
Ozer
Department of Child Pyschiatry, Gaziosmanpasa University Faculty of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
Hasan
H
Bozkurt
Department of Forensic Medicine, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
Sait
S
Ozsoy
Department of Family Medicine, Ordu University Faculty of Medicine, Ordu, Turkey.
Ozgur
O
Enginyurt
Department of Forensic Medicine, Council of Forensic Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
Durmus
D
Evcuman
Department of Forensic Medicine, Bulent Ecevit University Faculty of Medicine, Zonguldak, Turkey.
Riza
R
Yilmaz
Department of Biostatistics, Gaziosmanpaşa University Faculty of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
Yunus Emre
YE
Kuyucu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003710:Demography; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007179:Incest / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult