Introduction

The number of reported cases of intrafamily child sexual abuse has increased dramatically during the past five years. This is due, in part, to the enactment of stricter child abuse reporting laws nationwide and increased public awareness of the problem. As a result, the mental health field is currently being inundated with requests by local protective service agencies and families themselves for treatment. This condition has put much pressure on the mental health community in general, and family therapists in particular, to develop expertise in a short period of time. The results, however, have been less than satisfactory. Many clinicians complain that even with the many articles, books, and training workshops that have recently proliferated, there is still a need for both theoretically sound and highly practical information on the assessment and treatment of incest. ¹