Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mothers in Cases of Incest in Turkey: Views and Experiences of Professionals

  • PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDES TOWARD CHILD ABUSE AND PUNISHMENT
  • Published:
Journal of Family Violence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper aims to understand how professionals view non-offending mothers in cases of incest. Its data is based on a larger qualitative research project with 98 professionals in Turkey, including both frontline workers and those who join the process after the disclosure of abuse and are contacted professionally in incest cases. In spite of the differences in their views, the interviewed professionals have acknowledged the critical role of the mother in various phases of incest from disclosure of abuse to the treatment of the victim. However, they have also pointed out the insufficiencies and ambivalences of the mothers in terms of dealing properly with incest by underlining their economic and social vulnerability. The results reflected that the mothers need to be perceived in another light, understood better and empowered according to their needs to become vital partners within the support system combating incestuous abuse.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abu Baker, K., & Dwairy, M. (2003). Cultural norms versus state law in treating incest: a suggested model for Arab families. Child Abuse & Neglect, 27, 109–123. doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(02)00505-7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aile ve Sosyal Araştırmalar Genel Müdürlüğü. (2010). Türkiye’de aile değerleri araştırması [Family values in Turkey]. Ankara: Manas Medya Reklam Hizmetleri.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alaggia, R. (2002). Cultural and religious influences in maternal response to intrafamilial child sexual abuse: charting new territory for research and treatment. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 2, 41–60. doi:10.1300/J070v10n02_03.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atılmış, U. U., Gündüz, T., Karbeyaz, K., Balcı, Y., & Oral, R. (2008). Ensest şüphesi içeren bir olguda tanı güçlüğü [Difficulty in diagnosis of a case with high suspicion of incest: Case Report]. Türkiye Klinikleri Adli Tıp Dergisi, 5, 156–161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aydın, B., & Çolak, B. (2004). Samsun’da ağır ceza mahkemesine yansıyan cinsel suçlar [Sex crimes tried at the High Criminal Court in Samsun]. Adli Tıp Bülteni, 9, 11–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolen, R. M., & Lamb, J. L. (2007). Can non-offending mothers of sexually abused children be both ambivalent and supportive? Child Maltreatment, 12, 191–197. doi:10.1177/1077559507300132.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Breckenridge, J., & Baldry, E. (1997). Workers dealing with mother blame in child sexual assault cases. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 1, 66–80. doi:10.1300/J070v06n01_04.

    Google Scholar 

  • Briere, J., & Elliot, D. M. (1993). Sexual abuse, family environment and psychological symptoms: on the validity of statistical control. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2, 284–288. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.61.2.284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Candib, L. M. (1999). Incest and other harms to daughters across cultures: maternal complicity and patriarchal power. Women’s Studies International Forum, 2, 185–201. doi:10.1016/S0277-5395(99)00006-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cantürk, G., & Cantürk, N. (2006). Cinsel saldırı mağdurlarının muayene prosedürü [Examination procedure of sexual assault victims]. Cerrahi Tıp Bilimleri Acil Tıp Dergisi, 2(50), 49–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Çavlin-Bozbeyoğlu, A. (2009). Understanding the problem of incest in Turkey. Ankara: UNFPA and Population Association.

  • Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charmaz, K. (2009). Shifting the grounds, constructivist grounded theory methods. In J. M. Morse, P. N. Stern, J. Corbin, B. Bowers, A. E. Clarke, & K. Charmaz (Eds.), Developing grounded theory: The second generation. Walnut Creek: Left Coast Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corbin, J. M. (1998). Alternative interpretations: valid or not? Theory & Psychology, 8, 121–128. doi:10.1177/0959354398081007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corbin, J. (2009). Taking an analytic journey. In J. M. Morse, P. N. Stern, J. Corbin, B. Bowers, A. E. Clarke, & K. Charmaz (Eds.), Developing grounded theory: The second generation. Walnut Creek: Left Coast Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford, S. L. (1999). Intrafamilial sexual abuse: what we think we know about mothers and implications for intervention. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 3, 55–72. doi:10.1300/J070v07n03_04.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Young, M. (1994). Women as mothers and wives in paternally incestuous families: coping with role conflict. Child Abuse & Neglect, 1, 73–83. doi:10.1016/0145-2134(94)90097-3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Demirci, S., Doğan, K. H., Erkol, Z., & Deniz, I. (2008). Konya’da cinsel istismar yönünden muayenesi yapılan çocuk olguların değerlendirilmesi [Evaluation of child cases examined for sexual abuse in Konya]. Türkiye Klinikleri Adli Tıp Dergisi, 5, 43–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaser, B., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory. Chicago: Aldine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goretsky, S. E., & Smith, B. E. (1992). The controversial role of the non-offending parent in child sexual abuse cases. Children’s Legal Rights Journal, 18, 18–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goulding, C. (1999). Grounded theory: Some reflections on paradigm, procedures and misconceptions [Working Paper No. WP006/99]. Retrieved from http://www.wlv.ac.uk/PDF/uwbs_WP006-99%20Goulding.pdf

  • Gunduz, T., Karbeyaz, K., & Ayranci, U. (2011). Evaluation of the adjudicated incest cases in Turkey: difficulties in notification of incestuous relationships. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 56, 438–443. doi:10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01662.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, J. L. (1990). Reassessing mother blame in incest. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 3, 500–514. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3174425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joyce, P. A. (1997). Mothers of sexually abused children and the concept of collusion: a literature review. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 2, 75–92. doi:10.1300/J070v06n02_05.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joyce, P. A. (2007). The production of therapy: the social process of construction of the mother of a sexually abused child. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 3, 1–18. doi:10.1300/J070v16n03_01.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kadının Statüsü Genel Müdürlüğü. (2009). Türkiye’de Kadına Yönelik Aile İçi Şiddet Araştırması [Domestic violence against women in Turkey]. Ankara: Elma Teknik Basım.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadının Statüsü Genel Müdürlüğü. (2012). Türkiye’de kadının durumu [The status of women in Turkey]. Retrieved from http://www.kadininstatusu.gov.tr/upload/mce/trde_kadin_2012_ekim.pdf

  • Kagitcibasi, C. (2002). Cross-cultural perspectives on family change. In R. Liljeström & E. Ozdalga (Eds.), Transactions: Autonomy and dependence in the family (Vol. 11, pp. 19–38). Istanbul: Swedish Research Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kardam, F., & Yüksel, I. (2009). Kadına yönelik aile içi şiddet: Sayıların ardındaki anlatılar [Perceptions about violence against women: Qualitative research results]. In Kadının Statüsü Genel Müdürlüğü (Ed.), Türkiye’de Kadına Yönelik Aile İçi Şiddet Araştırması [Domestic violence against women in Turkey] (pp. 103–185). Ankara: Elma Teknik Basım.

  • Kim, K., Noll, J. G., Putnam, F. W., & Trickett, P. K. (2007). Psychosocial characteristics of non-offending mothers of sexually abused girls: findings from a prospective multigenerational study. Child Maltreatment, 12, 338–351. doi:10.1177/1077559507305997.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, K., Noll, J. G., Putnam, F. W., & Trickett, P. K. (2010). Childhood experiences of sexual abuse and later parenting practices among non-offending mothers of sexually abused and comparison girls. Child Abuse & Neglect, 34, 610–622. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2010.01.007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koverola, C. (2007). Perpetuating mother-blaming rhetoric: a commentary. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 1, 137–143. doi:10.1300/J070v16n01_09.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lafleur, C. T. (2009). Mothers’ reactions to disclosures of sibling sexual abuse. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2097/1370

  • Plummer, C. A. (2006). The discovery process: what mothers see and do in gaining awareness of the sexual abuse of their children. Child Abuse & Neglect, 11, 1227–1237. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2006.05.007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rubin, H. J., & Rubin, I. S. (1995). Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, A. L., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamraz, D. N. (1997). Non-offending mothers of sexually abused children: comparison of opinions and research. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 4, 75–104. doi:10.1300/J070v05n04_05.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turkish Statistical Institute. (2011). Women in statistics 2011. Ankara: Turkish Statistical Institute Printing Division.

    Google Scholar 

  • Womack, M. E., Miller, G., & Lassiter, P. (1999). Helping mothers in incestuous families. Women and Therapy, 4, 17–34. doi:10.1300/J015v22n04_02.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (2004). Preventing violence: A guide to implementing the recommendations of the World Report on Violence and Health. Geneva: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (2005). Multi-country study on women’s health and domestic violence against women. Geneva: Author.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study is based on data from a larger research project, “Understanding the Problem of Incest in Turkey,” which was funded by the United Nations Population Fund and conducted by the Population Association, Turkey. We would like to thank the research team and the professionals interviewed for their participation and Alanur Çavlin-Bozbeyoğlu for her encouragement and support for this study. We intend this research to benefit victims of incest and their mothers.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science and International Relations, Çankaya University, Ankara, Turkey

    Filiz Kardam

  2. Department of Political Science, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey

    Emine Bademci

Authors
  1. Filiz Kardam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Emine Bademci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emine Bademci.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kardam, F., Bademci, E. Mothers in Cases of Incest in Turkey: Views and Experiences of Professionals. J Fam Viol 28, 253–263 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-013-9495-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-013-9495-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation