Why does incest take place?

Understanding the causes of incest will help us to find a solution to it. The issue of incest is always in the news, this crime is not uncommon in our society.

What are the causes of incest? There seems to be no definite answer to this question. Research shows that most incest takes place among families in the lower income groups. This is not to say that it does not happen in the upper class. Common sense tells us that it is a man’s pure lust which is responsible for incest. Our priority should be to focus on how to prevent this heinous crime as it produces such a great negative impact on the victim and the family as well as society as a whole.

Research done in Malaysia shows that incest happens more often in rural areas. This finding is gathered from police files. However, it may not reveal the true situation as it is highly likely that many incest cases go unreported.
According to cases reported to the police, the statistics according to a racial breakdown are as follows:

Number of incest cases in Malaysia by racial composition

Racial Origin 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Malay 186 220 192 158 179 43
Chinese 10 13 7 5 9 4
Indian 21 27 15 12 17 6
Others 34 57 61 38 41 12
Total 251 317 275 213 246 65
Again, the racial factor may not reveal a true picture. There is a possibility that the Malays are more willing to come out and refer the matter to the police where as other races may be less willing to let the public know due to certain reasons. Among the Chinese there is a saying that family scandals should not to disclose to outsiders.

Recent discussion in the newspaper on the issue of incest by readers and politicians, educationists, doctors reveal that ……

Jaclyn Kee of the Women’s Aid Organization feels that too much emphasis has been focused on punishment of the offender. She thinks that the authorities should also concentrate on support for the victims so that they may be coaxed to come forward and report the wrongdoings.

Authorities have found that incest cases are more likely to take place at Felda schemes. Where many of the houses contain only one or two bedrooms so that boys and girls cannot have separate rooms to sleep.

It has also been found that a lack of religious teaching and parent’s failure to provide good role models to their children result in their easily being influenced by negative elements. It has been reported that sometimes father and daughter watch pornographic VCDs together. Easy access to pirate pornographic material helps to accelerate the rate of wrongful sex activities.

It is known that some victims become an outlet for the father to satisfy his sexual urges after separation or when the mother has passed away. Some of the victims believe that it is their duty as an obedient child to comply sexually. However, many of the victims are below 16 they and have no knowledge of sex.
National Unity and Community Development Minister Dr.Siti Zaharah Sulaiman has urged that incest cases should be reported not only to the police but also the Social Welfare Department so that the Department can take immediate action to protect the victim. There is a danger that after a report has been made to the police, the victim may be subject to violence from the offender. Presently the Welfare Department learns about the case only after it receives a copy of the report from the police, thus delaying their assistance to the victim. (17-4-2002, The Sun)

Dr.Siti Zalikhah Md Nor a Professor from University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) is of the opinion that some of the customs and life style of the Malays play a big part in the relatively high rate incest incidents among the Malays. She says Malay society has objection against man whose wife has passed away to marry again.

The other practice according to her is the tendency for old couples to sleep apart. Menopause women feel shy to sleep with their husbands on the same bed. Dr.Abdul Aziz Yahya is of the view that these women can undergo hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to enable them to be more inclined to resume their sex life with their husbands. (6-5-2002, Berita Harian)

The Head of Psychiatric Unit of the Medical Faculty at Universiti Putra Malaysia Dr.Nik Shaliza Hussin gives a few reasons why Malays are found to commit the highest rate of incest rate in the Country. She is of the view that a strong religious belief among the Malays compel them to report the matter to the police so that the offender would be caught. According to her, other races may have their own ways of overcoming the matter. The other reasons are the lack of religious teaching or education in the home of those offenders, and the lack of discipline and responsibility among members of the family. She also of the view that the Malays have less sense of responsibility as compared with other races and this could lead them to commit crimes of this nature. Other reasons are the weak family structure as a result of broken families. She thinks that the issues is a complex one; there is no single cause, a combination of many factors give rise to this social problem. (18-4-2002, Berita Harian)