Incest

Sexual activity between persons who are closely related by blood or, in some legal systems, by marriage or adoption, within a degree of relationship the law defines as prohibited. It is criminalized in nearly every legal system, historically on religious or moral grounds and more recently also on grounds including the elevated risk of genetic disorders in resulting offspring and the recognition that incest within a family frequently involves an imbalance of power or outright coercion, particularly where a minor is involved. Where a minor or a lack of consent is present, incest overlaps with, but remains legally distinct from, offenses such as child sexual abuse and rape, which do not require a familial relationship between offender and victim.