Survivors of Incest Anonymous
Encyclopedia
Survivors of Incest Anonymous (SIA) is a twelve-step fellowship
for recovery from consequences of childhood sexual abuse
. SIA was founded during 1982 in Baltimore, Maryland by women who believed their experience in other twelve-step fellowships (Alcoholics Anonymous
(AA), Overeaters Anonymous
(OA) and Al-Anon) could assist in recovery from sexual trauma. In SIA incest is defined broadly as any sexual behavior imposed on one person by a member of his or her immediate or extended family. The extended family, in this definition, includes but is not limited to: grandparents, uncles, aunts, in-laws, cousins, family friends, and stepparents. The abuse may include verbal and physical behaviors; penetration is not necessary for meeting SIA's definition on incest.
. In 1989 SIA merged with Sex Abuse Anonymous, a fellowship headquartered in St. Cloud, Minnesota
.
memories of the trauma, and that true memories of sexual abuse are rarely recovered later in life. SIA members have recounted times where being at a SIA would "trigger" a memory of abuse (a kind of "flashback").
saw groups such as SIA as promoting revictimization, explaining that in such groups members are deemed sinful and the fault of their sin and task of redemption are both on their shoulders. Armstrong suggested survivor-generated feminists advocacy organizations challenging the dominant discourse on sexual abuse as a viable alternative.
Twelve-step program
A Twelve-Step Program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems...
for recovery from consequences of childhood sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
. SIA was founded during 1982 in Baltimore, Maryland by women who believed their experience in other twelve-step fellowships (Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
(AA), Overeaters Anonymous
Overeaters Anonymous
Overeaters Anonymous is a twelve-step program for people with problems related to food including, but not limited to, compulsive overeaters, those with binge eating disorder, bulimics and anorexics...
(OA) and Al-Anon) could assist in recovery from sexual trauma. In SIA incest is defined broadly as any sexual behavior imposed on one person by a member of his or her immediate or extended family. The extended family, in this definition, includes but is not limited to: grandparents, uncles, aunts, in-laws, cousins, family friends, and stepparents. The abuse may include verbal and physical behaviors; penetration is not necessary for meeting SIA's definition on incest.
History
In 1987 SIA merged with Sexual Abuse Anonymous headquartered in Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. In 1989 SIA merged with Sex Abuse Anonymous, a fellowship headquartered in St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
.
Meetings
In addition to open, mixed gender meetings, SIA designates many meetings as "women only" or "men only." Most SIA groups are not open to those perpetrators of sexual abuse. Meetings that allow perpetrators state this clearly at the beginning of the meeting, and will not allow those who are currently perpetrating sexual abuse to attend.False memories
Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus mentioned SIA as an example in an article cautioning professionals to be aware of the potential that illusory memories and false beliefs can be created through environmental cues, some of which could occur at SIA meetings. Loftus expressed concern that SIA members were not required to have memories of sexual abuse before attending SIA meetings. Loftus had specifically found that most survivors of sexual abuse do not repressRepressed memory
Repressed memory is a hypothetical concept used to describe a significant memory, usually of a traumatic nature, that has become unavailable for recall; also called motivated forgetting in which a subject blocks out painful or traumatic times in one's life...
memories of the trauma, and that true memories of sexual abuse are rarely recovered later in life. SIA members have recounted times where being at a SIA would "trigger" a memory of abuse (a kind of "flashback").
Postmodern
Sociologist Norman Denzin argued that groups such as SIA have a "glossing" effect that causes members to use the same language and framework to describe their experiences thereby having a detrimental homogenizing effect. Sociologist Nancy A. Naples saw the structure of twelve-step fellowships as being antithetical to social change as such groups discourage members from collective political engagement. Author Louise ArmstrongLouise Armstrong
Louise Armstrong was a published writer of numerous adult and children books. A staunch feminist and activist, Armstrong had spoken widely for two decades in the United States, Canada, and England, on the subjects of child abuse, incest, women issues, family violence and sexual abuse.Her book,...
saw groups such as SIA as promoting revictimization, explaining that in such groups members are deemed sinful and the fault of their sin and task of redemption are both on their shoulders. Armstrong suggested survivor-generated feminists advocacy organizations challenging the dominant discourse on sexual abuse as a viable alternative.