Nobody’s Unpredictable
April 2010
Survey on incest survivors :
impact of incest experiences
on health and daily life
Nobody’s Unpredictable
Results of the survey
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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Methods
Survey led for: AIVI, the International Association of Incest Survivors
Sample : • 946 individuals from the general population that pictures French population from 15 years to older
• 341 adult survivors of incest
Date of the survey : • Survey on the general population : From 12th to 13th March 2010.
• Survey on incest survivors : From 26th February to 25th March 2010
Methodology : •Survey on the general population : individuals were interviewed over the phone by IPSOS.The sample of the general population was selected according the methodology of quotas by gender, profession of family head, grade of urban centres and area.
• Survey on incest survivors, members of AIVI who filled up a self-reported questionnaire on the website of IPSOS
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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Incest survivors suffer from multiple disorders with a more important ratio than from the general French population
Question : For each of the following situation would you please answer if…
Regurlary feeling very depressed, being down in the dumps
Being really afraid of others or afraid of saying no
Regurlarly feeling irritable or having outburst of anger
Regularly experiencing suicidal ideas
or suicidal impulses
Are you regularly troubles by chronic pains
(backpain, migraines)
Being jumpy or being startled at something unexpected
72
66
64
35
68
59
26
27
28
51
17
24
6
8
14
15
15 2
1
1
119
7
20
2
38
12
37
22
33
12
18
22
44
70
46
86
44
65
1
1
1
Experiencing or having
experienced
%
98
93
92
86
85
83
56
29
53
14
56
34
No answerThis is a situation that you experienced but this is over
You never experienced such a situationThis is a situation that you are experiencing
Incest survivors General French population
Experiencing or having
experiencesd
%
Sample : General population (946 respondents)
Sample : Incest survivors (341 respondents)
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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Question : For each of the following question would you please …
42
31
26
4
7
14
34
33
29
26
20
6
24
34
45
69
73
79
1
1
2
4
2
22
7
2
11
5
10
22
10
7
8
91
88
56
82
91
81
1
76
64
55
30
27
20
9
12
44
17
9
19
No answerThis is a situation that you experienced but this is over.
You never experienced such a situationThis is a situation that you are experiencing
Suffering from compulsive eating disorders
(anorexia, boulimia…)
Being really afraid to have children because of the fear one might
become a « bad » parent
Smoking on average more than ten cigarettes a day
Drinking on average more than 3 glasses of alcohol a day (including
over the week-end )
Using street drugs at least once per week
(cannabis, cocaïne, héroïne…)
Suffering with severe diseases (cancer, cardiac disorders, diabetes...)
Experiencing or having
experienced
%
Experiencing or having
experienced
%
Sample : General population (946 respondents)
Sample : Incest survivors (341 respondents
Victims of incest General French population
Incest survivors suffer from multiple disorders with more important ratio than from general French population (next)
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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Trauma which have severe consequences on daily life of incest survivors
Question : And for each of the following questions would you say…
Upsetting thoughts or memories about the event against your will
Regular difficulties of failing or staying asleep
Upsetting dreams about the event
Being under the care of psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, psychotherapist or psychologist
more than six months
Unable being sexually active even if wishing
Difficulty concentrating or practicising your professional work
Self-harming regularly(cuts, burns, scratches, etc)
Being prostituated
74
65
49
54
44
35
11
1
20
25
37
30
33
33
30
11
5
9
14
16
22
32
59
88
1
1
1
ExperiencingOr having
Experienced
%
No answersThis is a situation that you experienced but this is over
You never experienced such a situationThis is a situation that you are experiencing
94
90
86
84
77
68
41
12
Sample : Incest survivors 341 respondents)
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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Incest survivors undervalue the quality of their daily life: on family, loving and professional issues.
Question : On a scale from 1 to 10, 1 meaning that you estimate that your life is not satisfying at all and 10 that you are fully satisfied (intermediate mark meaning to vary your judgement ), what mark would you give to
23
17
16
23
18
22
10
16
13
18
18
18
26
31
31
52-4 6to 71 8 to 10
Your loving life
Your professional life
Your family life
Sample : Incest survivors – People concerned by each of this situation
4,9
5,4
5,4
Average
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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Most of incest survivors have already attempted suicide
Question : Have you ever attempted suicide?
22%
47%
31%
Yes, several times Yes, once None
Sample : Incest survivors (341 responses)
Yes53%
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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About nine survivors over ten are experiencing or experienced guilt
Question : Are you feeling guilty from this event ?
51%
12%
37%
Sample : Incest survivors (341 respondents)
Yesi88%
Yes, but not any moreYes, still ongoing None
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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Suvivors wait an average of 16 years delay until a spontaneous disclosure of incest
Question : How long after the facts did you disclose incest experiences to someone ?
Less than one year
1 to 4 years
5 to 9 years
10 to 19 years
20 to 25 years
More than 25 years
Do not reply
S/T Less than 10 years35%
S/T 10 years and more64%
Sample: Incest survivors (341 respondents)
=16 years
Average
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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22%
18%
14%
9%
9%
7%
6%
A friend / an acquaintance
Your partner/ your previous partner)
Your father / your mother
Your physician
Another health professional
A brother / a sister
Another member of the family
Most of the survivors disclosed out of the family circle
Question : To whom did you disclose the first time the incest experiences ?
6%
3%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
A psychotherapist / psychiatrist / psychoanalyst
/ psychologist
A teacher / an educator
A member of charity
Your children
A social worker
A priest
To the police / To the police constable
S/T Un professionnel
31%
Sample : Incest survivors (341 respondents)
28%
S/T Family
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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In most of the cases, incest survivors initiate a first disclosure
Question : When you disclose for the first time, it was…
No replyAfter replying to a question that was asked to you on this issue
From your initiative
Sample : Incest survivors (341 respondents)
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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Question : And since you have disclosed for the first time, did you speak out again your experiences with other persons?
2%
3%
95%
Yes, only oneYes, several No
S/T Yes97%
Sample : Incest survivors (341 respondents)
After the first disclosure, most of the survivors speak out again their experiences with other persons
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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8 Ip
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Facing the disclosure, several people adopt avoidance behaviors
Question : When you were disclosing incest experiences for the first time , the one to whom you spoke…
Spontaneously spoke about it with you later
Showed embarrassment and prefered to avoid the talk or to change of subject
Asked you or adviced you to keep silent
Guided you towards specialist advices in order to lodge a complaint
Was in doubt with your statement or accused you to lie
Reported to the judicial authorities
NoYes Do not reply
Sample : Incest survivors (341 respondents)
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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Most of the survivors never spoke about the subject with their perpetrators
Question : Did you talk with your perpetrator about what happened ?
Yes, onceYes, several times No
S/T Yes44%
Sample : Incest survivors (341 respondents)
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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Sample : Incest survivors who have again spoken to other persons(330 répondants)
A disclosure that has finally reached the family circle
Question : Who are the persons to whom you have again spoken out ? – Open question, spontaneous replies.
I have spoken freely/ without any taboo / I speak with a lot of people
The justice / a lawyer
The police / The police constablee
A social worker
Others incest survivors
A teacher / an educator
On a forum website
The perpetrator
In a group therapy
Another health professional
To media / I have written a book
A priest
No reply
A friend / an acquaintance
Your partner / Your previous partner
A psychotherapist / psychiatrist / psychoanalyst /
psychologist
Your father / your mother
A brother, a sister
The family circle
Another member of the family
A physician
Your children
A member of a supportive charity
from AIVI
ColleaguesTotal > 100, several replies are possible
77%
S/T Family
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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In one case over two, the perpetrator denied the facts and in one case over three, he threatened the survivor if she/he would disclose
Question : Your perpetrator…
Sample : Survivors who spoke to their perpetrators (151 respondents)
45
34
21
17
54
63
76
80
3
3
1
3
NoYes No reply
Acknowledged the facts
Has threatened you if you disclosed the facts to others
Has apologized to you
Has had remorses
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
© 200
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Nearly three quater of survivors did not lodge a complaint
Question : Did you lodge a complaint against your perpetrator ?
NoYes
Sample : Incest survivors (341 respondents)
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
© 200
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sos
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The delay of reporting and the family pressure may probably explain why there was not always a trial
Question : Did you get a trial ?
Sample : Incest survivors who lodged a complaint against their perpetrator (103 respondents)
2%
28%
55%15%
Yes, but your perpetrator has not been convicted
Yes and your perpetrator has been convicted
No Do not answer
S/T Yes43%
Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne
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Question : Why did you not lodge a complaint ?
Sample : Survivors who did not lodge a complaint (238 respondents)
Total > 100, several replies are possible
The facts were barred by the statute of limitations
You did not feel able to face a trial
You have been afraid to be rejected by your family
Your perpetrator died
Your were afraid not to be believed/ not to win the trial (fear to be dismissed/ lack of evidence/ memories too uncertain / unfair
trial/...)
You were in denial/ amnesia/ in shame
You were afraid to destroy your family/ to do wrong towards to the family circle
You were frightened by your perpetrator
You did not believe that a trial may help (In order to restore/ Not need/ The perpetrator paid in another way/ He prefered to
apologize...)
You were too young/ still under 18 years)
Others (the perpetrator got a cerebral vascular accident/ too many perpetrators )
The mean reasons which explain why the survivors do not lodge a complaint : the delay of prescription, the fear and the family pressure