Overview
A sexual or romantic relationship between a mother and her offspring is classified as incest. Such relationships are universally regarded as taboo and are prohibited by law in many countries. They constitute as sexual abuse, which is a grave criminal offense. Even in cases where both parties are consenting adults, these relationships are still legally defined as incest and are criminalized in numerous jurisdictions. While incestuous relationships between a parent and child typically involve the parent as the abuser, there are rare cases where sons sexually assault their mothers.
Jocasta complex
In psychoanalytic theory, the Jocasta complex refers to a mother’s incestuous sexual desire for her son. The term was introduced by Raymond de Saussure in 1920, drawing a parallel to the Oedipus complex, which represents the reverse dynamic in psychoanalysis. The concept can also apply to varying levels of maternal attachment, including an overly controlling and domineering but non-sexual form of affection, which is often seen in situations where the father is absent.
Origins
The Jocasta complex is named after Jocasta, the Greek queen who unknowingly married her son, Oedipus. It is closely related to the Oedipus complex, where a child feels sexual attraction towards a parent. However, in the original myth, both Jocasta and Oedipus were unaware of their true relationship when they married.
In Japan
In Japan, there is a widespread misconception that mother–son incest is common, largely because of how it is portrayed in the media and press. As criminologist Hideo Tokuoka notes, "while Americans associate incest with fathers and daughters, in Japan, it is mothers and sons that come to mind," due to the frequent media coverage of such cases.
Usage
On Pixiv, this tag is commonly used to include media of fictional mother-child interactions; these images typically show the mother with her son, usually depicted as a shota. Images showing a mother and her daughter having an incestuous relationship are uncommon because users typically save those kinds of scenes for other tags, such as: Incest Adultery, Mother and Daughter Lesbian, Older girl and Loli.
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