Don't Blamei

Real Victims
EDITOR, Sun: There may. be a
universal incest tabod, as is asserted
in Maryfran Johnson's article (Sept.
17). But, if there are no sanctions,
what difference does it make?
Although it apparently is no longer:
fashionable to overtly blame the "se.-,
ductive child," we do hear the. HRS,.
, supervisor say, "Once a counselor
.decides on the validity of an abuse
report, he can walk into that house
and walk out again with that child."
(No wonder the child begins to think
she has done. something wrong.) And
then the social worker asks, "Who will
take the blame for daddy being.in -ris.
on and mommy on welfare?" It
doesn't look like anybody is going to
blame daddy I
Liberal-sounding experts imply
that they dbn't believe the wife is "at
fault" and then gratuitously report
that (1) she "may have condoned it,"
(2) her acceptance on the conscious
level would make her "not a real
woman," and (subtly incriminating),
(3) she "knows exactly what is going
on." One might imagine that the fa-
ther, also "knows what is going on,"
but in this all-too-familiar refrain we
are supposed to believe that he is
unable to control himself (even though
these acts are defined as hostile rather
than sexual), and the readers are left .
to wonder why the mother has not put
a stop to itl u
Reading further we are asked to


SVoice Of


.^. The


People
***.s '


:feel sorry for. what appears to be the
"real" victim, the father, who,-,after
all, was only reacting, if inappropri-
ately, to his wife's "many affairs"
(unlike his simple "infidelities"), or
her having the nerve to go out and get
a job, letting him do his .share at.
home. And then we are encouraged to
believe he still "loves" his daughter,
despite the admittedly hostile acts.
After all this, professionals seem sur-
prised that these children subsequent-
ly exhibit depression (repressed an-
ger), having been actively prevented
from venting their legitimate rage at
the real target.
,t seems clear that incest, like
other forms of rape, will continue to
flourish until it is taken seriously.
Pleas for us to ''feel sorry for" and
"understand" these aggressive crimi-
nals are a step in the WRONG direc.u
tion!
.-.. ..NANCY BREEZE