Covert Sexual Incest

Covert Sexual Incest is a term coined by Dr Kenneth Adams to describe the inappropriate enmeshment between a parent and child. This happens when a parent is lonely, and in a dysfunctional relationship of their own looking to the child to fill this void. The child then loses out on their youth and is forced to please the parent by becoming a surrogate spouse. The child feels special and to some degree enjoys the special treatment but in the end becomes severely impaired relationally as they come to see love as a burden. Narcissistic abuse will create similar enmeshment as the child has no ability to say no and is forced to give into the inappropriate demands of the parent. There will always be a sexual trauma that displays symptoms of sexual molestation without any physical touch.