The Voice Unheard: A Survivors Testimony

The standard definition of a family is a socially recognized group joined by blood,

marriage, or adoption that forms an emotional connection and serves as an economic unit of

society (Little, 2014). Furthermore, family is a home that serves as a safe port for retreat from

the burdens of the outside world (Petrovic-Ziemer, 2016) which members are staying in ever

more frequent touchthat family remains the greatest source of satisfaction in peoples lives

(Tillman & Nam, 2008); but what if what if the family that is supposed to be giving you the

storgic love to satisfy you is also the same family that gives you the erotic love? What if the

family that is supposed to secure and keep you safe from harm is the one who gives you the

burden which you ought to carry for a lifetime?

Incest rapeis committed when the perpetrators primitive animal instincts

overpowers him. Not only is the primitive brains response quick and dirty, it is also very

powerful that it urges the whole body for action which is hard to control (The Actual Freedom

Trust, 2017). Rape is defined as forced penetration of a penis into vagina. On the other hand,

incest is a sexual relationship between persons related by blood and is more frequently a case of

an adult forcing himself on a minor (Rahman, Zain, & Kadir, 2013).

The victims reaction to this incident depends on the frequency, duration and the familys

response to the incident and varies from one another. In addition, the victim experiences

psychological, sexual and relationship problems (Brand and Alexander, 2003); and similarly, it

has also found out that these causes unstable relationships, more sexual partners and greater

negativity towards partners (Isley, Isley, Freiburger, & McMackin, 2008; Roberts, O'Connor,

Dunn, Golding, & ALSPAC Study Team, 2004). Lastly, it was reported that the victims are
associated with poorer parenting behaviors (Roberts, O'Connor, Dunn, Golding, & ALSPAC

Study Team, 2004).

In studies conducted in United Sates, it was further attested that incest survivors have less

parenting efficacy and perceive their selves as having negative parenting ability (Fitzgeralda,

2005) and they have more risk of having negative view of self as parent compared to nonabused

parents (Barnyard,1997). Furthermore, during the development of their children, conflicts arise

that result to critical and poor parenting (Maker & Buttenheim, 2000).

Aside from these, the victims are more likely to have emotional distress and lack of

confidence and self-esteem in motherhood (Sperlich & Seng, 2008). The low self-esteem and

parenting is the result of the sexual abuse and her perceived qualities as a mother to her children

and their relationship. In a smaller US study, parental stress, feelings of competence and

discipline strategies have disappeared because of what she has experienced (Schuetze & Das

Eiden, 2005).

Along with those, victims may experience severe depression and sense of

defencelessness. Existing research indicates that maternal survivors of child sexual abuse are will

likely be in the risk of negative parenting outcomes. These include decreased parenting

contentment and compassion, increased anxiety. Situations through which maternal survivors of

child sexual abuses are at risk of mistreat their own child are vital for prevention and intervention

with survivors of child sexual abuse (Noll, 2008).

In Japan, research discovered in one of their respondents that she saw herself as shameful

and has a damaged image and only knew a little about parenting (Tyano, Keren, Hermann &

Cox, 2010). In addition it was shown that child sexual abuse caused low self-esteem, depression
and are not competent as parents (Pazdera, McWey, Mullis & Carbonell, 2013). With the same

study in Jordan, the daughters of incest victims said that their mothers have failed to grow up and

has negative views as a mother moreover, they do not have intimate affection for their mothers

(Voth & Tutty, 2008).

The focus of the study is to know the difficulties of an incest rape victim who is sexually

abused as minor in raising her offspring. We wanted to study it because there was no study

conducted here in the Philippines yet.

On the other hand, we wanted to study it so that the society will be aware of this act and

prevent having judgments to the incest rape victims and understand their situations; while the

chief purpose of this study is to know their challenges, pains and difficulties of a being a mother

despite the scars of the past.

The objectives of the study are as follows:

To identify the difficulties of being a victim

The following are the questions that we seek to answer:

1. What was the life of the participant before the incident?

2. What was the life/ life story of the participant after the incident?

3. How did the study participant rise up?

The study will help the society not to ignore this incident but to take notice and pay

attention to this phenomenon which is alarming the humanity for the past years up to the present.

Methodology

Methodology
 This part presents the research design part and procedure on how we will conduct the

study.

Research Design

In this study, we will use a qualitative research design. This is a systematic purposive

approach to describe and bestow meanings behind a persons experiences. This research design is

helpful in order for the readers to be informed about the issues and problems that a sexually

abused incest victim encounters in raising her child and how they deal towards these difficulties.

In our study, we will use a biography/narrative research design which goes over unto a life of a

person and search for evidences around the people of the person who is the victim of the

situation to support the stories provided by the respondent according to Clandinin & Connelly,

(2000).

Participant

The respondent of our study is a selected incest victim in Davao del Sur.

Sampling Selection

In this study we will use the purposive sampling technique. We will purposely select the

participant who is a victim of an incest incident who lives Davao del Sur.

Role of the Researchers

According to Taflinger (1996), to learn something new and gather some factual evidences

is the two main purposes of research. In addition, we researchers must utilize this purpose to

gather evidences as proof. In order to give emphasis to this quotation, we will do our best to

provide fresh and raw information about the study that we choose to focus on. Through different

research tools such as interview, questionnaires and many more, we can gather pure and unbiased

data right at its finest.

In collecting data for a research, we decided to conduct our study in Davao del Sur. We

are planning to conduct an interview on our chosen participant who is an incest rape victim and

is now a mother of a child. But before that, we will ask first the consent from the participant if

shes willing to engage in our study and swear that we will keep her identity unrevealed.

According to Richards & Schwartz (2002), confidentiality must be considered seriously. We will

also ask our participant the vernacular version of our prepared questions and let her answered it

in vernacular. We will translate her answers in English later on. Answers will be recorded

through taking down notes and audio recorder. In addition, we will inform her about the purpose

and the significance of our study.

Analysis Procedure

We will use the narrative analysis--- a kind of narrative that is constructed by the

researchers who has collected descriptions of events, through interviews and observations and

synthesize them into a story as stated by Gay et. al (2012).

Trustworthiness

DeVault (2016) said that researchers focus on the trustworthiness of qualitative data more

than validity and reliability. Guba (1981) emphasized qualitative research must ensure credibility,

transferability, dependability and conformability.

Credibility means research methods are well established and data gathered by the

researchers are valid and congruent to reality. Sources and records in our study should be true,

reliable and updated.

applied to one situation. Our study is applicable in our country and also to the other countries for

there are also sexually abused incest victims in other countries.

Dependability is the process within the study wherein it should be reported in detailed,

thereby enabling future researcher to repeat the work, if not necessarily to gain same results. Our

study will have great contribution to the future researchers especially there are no research in the

Philippines about the parenting difficulties of sexually abused incest victims.

Conformability has something to do with objectivity. Researchers must not lose their

sight on the primary sources of data who are participants on informants. In our study, we believe

that this will have a great impact to the people in our country.

Ethical Considerations

Tudy & Tudy (2016) stated that a qualitative research highlights ethical consideration as

an important component. As researchers, we will ask permission first before we will conduct our

interview if shes willing to engage our study. Pseudonyms will be used in order to protect the

identity of the participant. We will swear to uphold the confidentiality.