Incest Comes Out of the Dark

Incest with a child is among the most horrible crimes an adult can commit. But it is also one of the easiest to hide. Children are pressured not to tell. No one wants to believe parents or other relatives ever sexually abuse their young charges. But this conspiracy of silence, which only helps perpetuate the tragedy, is beginning to crumble.

Comedian Roseanne Arnold captured the attention and sympathy of millions of Americans last week after she disclosed that she had been sexually abused by both her parents as a child. "It's the secret that's been killing me my whole life," Arnold,...