Examples Of Incest In The United States

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Incest is defined as “sexual intercourse between two people who are so closely related that they are forbidden by law to marry” (“incest” Marriam-Webster Dictionary). The incest taboo is one of the most universal in the United States. Laws regarding incest differ in the United States according to state and depending on what type of incest it is. However, any form of incest is socially frowned upon in this country. Incest has been studied by many psychologists and scientists including Dr. Sugmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist. Freud believed children had repressed sexual urges toward their opposite sex parent (Boeree). In some countries incest is more widely accepted and practiced. There have been examples throughout history that incest…show more content…
In Ancient Egypt incest relationships were often found in royal families. Cleopatra was married to her younger brother Ptolemy. Cleopatra’s parents were also brother and sister. European rulers also married cousins, especially when they could expand their empire. Another example is King Leonidis, a Spartan King was married to his niece (Thornhill). King Leonidas is the main character in the very popular action film 300 portrayed by Gerard Butler. This fact is left out during the film, most likely because incest is very frowned upon in society and they did not want to risk hurting the lead character’s likeability in the…show more content…
The first type of incest discussed is the worst offense punished by law. This type of incest is between child and adult. Not only is this incest but it is also sexual child abuse and rape. This is punished harshly by law in every state, even the ones that don’t go after incest, like Rhode Island. Child adult incest most commonly occurs from a father or a stepfather to a daughter. There are also many of uncle to niece. Mother/stepmother to son is less prevalent but more than father to son, which does occur but seems to be rare. When a child grows up being sexually abused in a home they often grow up to suffer from low self-esteem. Other problems such as depression, personality disorders, sexual disorders, substance abuse and others may stem from being sexually abused as a

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