Shedding Light on Sibling Incest

NEW YORK, Feb. 25 (AP) - After dozens of publishers turned down ``Not Child's Play,'' editor Risa Shaw published it herself--a jolting anthology of prose and poems by women who, like herself, depict sexual abuse by their brothers.

Some of her 35 contributors use only first names or pseudonyms, but more than half use their real full names. A few write of eventual reconciliation with their brothers; others still seethe over abuse that scarred their childhood.

``He should bungee jump without a cord,'' writes Meikil Berry of her brother. ``He should never be happy, satisfied, blessed, understood, free or forgiven.''

Sibling incest is an age-old phenomenon, figuring in Greek mythology, Wagner's operas and many modern novels. But Shaw says ``Not Child's Play,'' published in November, is unique in giving an assertive voice to survivors of what is one of the most hidden forms of sexual abuse.

``The voices and stories in this book speak to survival of brother-sister incest,'' she writes in the introduction. ``They show us that our experiences are not isolated incidents and that we are not to blame. They can help us shed our shame.''

Shaw, 41, is a sign-language interpreter and teacher in Takoma Park, Maryland. She told her parents in 1984 that her brother abused her, and tried with little success to find books and articles that would bring some comfort or insight.

``There's more attention paid to father-daughter incest,'' she said in a telephone interview. ``Sibling incest is sometimes mentioned, but it's never at the forefront.''

Her goal is for the book to encourage girls--and parents--to respond more rapidly and boldly when sibling incest occurs.

``Our families did not protect us against incest; often they permitted the brothers' actions to continue without intervention,'' Shaw writes. ``I want the brothers to see that they used their power over their sisters in inappropriate and destructive and hurtful ways.''

Shaw said her relationship with her brother ``continues to evolve.'' She withholds his first name from the book, but describes in detail confronting him 15 years after the abuse.

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