Patterns of coping and characteristics of high-functioning incest survivors

An exploratory study using a phenomenological approach was designed to examine methods of coping and adaptation that may facilitate a healthy adjustment after sexual abuse. In-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of 15 high-functioning adult female incest survivors. The results identify the capacity of sexually abused children to use avoidance strategies and use psychological escape mechanisms to cope with the abuse; and helped explicate the adult process of separation, self-discovery, and revisiting the past trauma. The victim's cognitive appraisals and responses emerged as important variables in managing the trauma of sexual abuse. The capacity to protect the integrity of the self appeared central to the adult developmental process of integrating the incest experience.