Silent Screams: Family Perceptions in the Drawings of Incest Victim Children

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the family perceptions in the drawings of children exposed to incest.Design and methods: This qualitative research involved 25 child survivors of incest, all of whom were examined and subjected to forensic interviews at a facility in northern Turkiye specializing in cases of child sexual abuse. The data were collected using the "Child and Family Descriptive Information Form", the "Abuser Descriptive Information Form", the "Family Drawing Test", and the "Semi-structured Interview Form".Results: The children's drawings were subjected to a projective analysis, leading to the identification of three key themes: the distress of confronting incest; unbalanced power and role allocation in the family; and dysfunctional family dynamics.". These themes were discerned by examining the connections and coherence between the categories.Conclusion: It is concluded in the study that who are exposed to incest perceived a trauma experience that affected the whole family, perceived unbalanced power and role allocation in the family with authoritarian-aggressive and submissive-oppressed roles, and had negative perceptions of family dynamics such as emotional ties, family integrity, and social interaction. Implications to practice: This study emphasizes the need to restructure the issues of familial trauma, power and role imbalance, and unmet needs within the family while planning for trauma in nursing approaches to children who are victims of incest.(c) 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.