Intra Family Sexual Abuse (IFSA) in the South Asian Indian Family System: 'A Comprehensive Survey of the Literature and Critical Analysis'

The purpose of this literature review is to establish the need for further research regarding South Asian Indian women who are victims of Intra family sexual abuse, incest, in the United States. An in depth cultural exploration examining family preservation, gender inequalities, sexuality, immigration and acculturation will serve to educate practitioners regarding culturally informed practice while highlighting the complexity in treating this issue within this culture. Although the literature is scant, existing statistics will be presented in order to establish the problem of intrafamily sexual abuse in India to support the incidence of this phenomenon.;Due to the lack of research on SAI women living in the U.S., there will be culturally appropriate extrapolations using research from Western cultures in an effort to illustrate the effects of intrafamily sexual abuse. Thus the second part of the paper will examine this issue in the Western world, beginning with the prevalence of sexual assault and child sexual abuse and then presenting the research on intrafamily sexual abuse in terms of historical presence, cultural suppression, and the pervasive effects on development. The paper will close with implications and treatment recommendations for practitioners working with South Asian Indian women and areas for future research in the Western academic community.