Especially in the past few months, repugnant details have emerged concerning sexual improprieties by people at the highest levels of the political and entertainment worlds. We are no longer shy about public discussions involving pedophilia, clerical abuse or rape. Still, one area of sexual abuse remains secretive, private and unprosecuted – incest between family members other than a parent or a sibling. A number of studies regarding incest have been done. To our knowledge, none have specifically included cousins as perpetrators or victims.

Whether on a camping trip, in their bed, under a blanket or being babysat, an assault by a family member – an assumed primal protector – is especially traumatic.  Generally, sexual relations are illegal between any person related by lineal consanguinity, or a brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece. In layperson’s language “incest” means that sexual relations are forbidden between people classified as being too closely related to marry each other.