When Daddy Loves Daughter: Exploring the Incest Taboo

Incest Taboo Is Hard-Wired, Most Researchers Say

When 61-year-old Australian John Deaves and his 39-year-old daughter Jenny announced this week that they had a child together, most people reacted with shock and disgust.

But while many would cite simple social unacceptability for their reactions, sociologists and sex experts say that aversion toward incestuous relationships goes far deeper than the violation of social norms.

In fact, research suggests that the vast majority of us are hard-wired for revulsion when it comes to the idea of sex between a father and daughter or other family members.

"When incest occurs, it is not only violating a cultural taboo, it is crossing ancient neurological wiring for avoidance," said Jonathan Turner, a distinguished professor of sociology at the University of California, Riverside