Betrayal of Innocence: Incest and Its Devastation

Rating:
Summary: I too am a survivor
Review: I read this book on the advice of my therapist. Eventhough I read this book at least 15 years ago, I can still remember vividly the encounters of other children as recounted by the author. Although I read most of the book with blurry vision due to tears, I also felt some comfort from knowing that I wasn't alone, that I wasn't to blame, and that I had no reason to feel guilty. The analysis of the author between some of the cases was very insightful. I learned how much responsibility my mom actually shared in the incest, although as a child I thought of her as being completely innocent. I thought I was protecting her with my silence. This book was a great comfort for me. I hope that others who have been victims of incest will also find it to be a comfort.

Rating:
Summary: Suggested reading
Review: This book is very well written and helped me through a tough period in my life when I read it in the 80's. I had been having flashbacks and decided to see if I could figure out what was going on. It provided me with a blueprint and a course of action, which helped me find myself and do something about what had happened to me. I would recommend this book to any victims of childhood sexual abuse.

Rating:
Summary: Betrayal of Innocence : Incest and Its Devastation
Review: This book is very well written and helped me through a tough period in my life when I read it in the 80's. I had been having flashbacks and decided to see if I could figure out what was going on. It provided me with a blueprint and a course of action, which helped me find myself and do something about what had happened to me. I would recommend this book to any victims of childhood sexual abuse.

Rating:
Summary: A balanced view
Review: This book takes an amazingly balanced view. It describes the complete dynamics of all types of incest, including Father-Daughter, Mother-Son, Father-Son, Mother-Daughter, and extended family. It also has an excellent chapter on suggested modifications to our legal and social system that would help the problem.

I do not agree with the review that the book describes the aggressor as always being some kind of horrible person. Sometimes this is the case, but the book shows a more significant social issue in that the aggressor is often "the average joe" with a significant boundary crossing issue that must be resolved. She indicates that incest may be a much more prevalent problem than most people are willing to admit, particularly if you extend the definition of incest to include inappropriate sexual behaviors beyond intercourse, and may affect up to 40% of women in the U.S.!

I found Susan Forward's suggestions that our social outrage and reactions to the incest taboo are very destructive to society, in that it prevents disclosure of incest, and makes positive and effective treatment of the victim and the aggressor very difficult; that our reaction in this particular kind of crime, society and the family are almost always better served by modifications of our legal system to better treat the entire family dynamic as well as the personal issues of the aggressor, who she claims is the "most easily rehabilitated" of all of the sex offenders. I was surprised to learn that she has seen success rates of up to 90% in reuniting entire families after incidents of incest, which would be impossible if the offenders were the stereotypical "heartless scum" that we see in the popular media.

All this from a person who herself was a victim of incest.

I think this book should be required reading in our high schools.

Rating:
Summary: best book on the subject
Review: This is a good starting place for anyone wishing to research the subject of incest. It's concise, well-written, compassionate, insightful, and full of information. Even though it's been in print for 20 years, it's up to date and still the best book available.

Rating:
Summary: One of The Best
Review: This is one of the best books I have read regarding the subject of incest and child abuse/molestation. It is clear and percise like that of "Beauty For Ashes", honest,truthful and courageous like that of "Nightmares Echo...It makes the reader understand the ramifications of Incest and the devastating effects on the child. I believe this book should be read by everyone in our society over the age of 15. Remarkable book!

Rating:
Summary: One of The Best
Review: This is one of the best books I have read regarding the subject of incest and child abuse/molestation. It is clear and percise like that of "Beauty For Ashes", honest,truthful and courageous like that of "Nightmares Echo...It makes the reader understand the ramifications of Incest and the devastating effects on the child. I believe this book should be read by everyone in our society over the age of 15. Remarkable book!

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This is the best book I've read. Very easy to read. It describes the characteristics of a child molester. It explained that these people have no compassion or empathy for others and that's how they are able to do such awful things. I highly recommend this book.