There is qeneral agreement in the literature that incest is a dysfunctional family pattern requiring intervention which aims at the revision of family dynamics. There is disagreement over whether the actors in father-daughter incest have fixed and peculiar personality characteristics. Mother-daughter role reversal clearly places a family at risk for incest, but sequences are not clear, nor are the patterns of marital interaction. Studies suggest that the mother's alcohol abuse contributes to maternal distance from the daughter and that the father's alcohol abuse lowers his inhibitions against incest. Evidence indicates harmful and long-lasting physical and mental effects on incest victims. Theory development is in an early stage. It should focus on interaction sequences and the connection of personality correlates to interactions. Other issues requiring study include factors that influence disclosure, criminal justice measures that can minimize the victim's guilt and shame while providing due process for the offender, offender rehabilitation, and how to strengthen the mother's protective role in the family. 58 references.