I sometimes wonder how much of that mistreatment and neglectful behavior stems from sexual frustration mixed with possessiveness on the part of the parents. Statistics seem to bear that out and not being able to admit the root of a problem usually makes things worse. I can imagine that fathers of beautiful girls -naturally forming strong bonds with them either way- would be besides themselves on a deeply buried subconscious level: Not just with wanting but with having to give the object of their desire up to someone else one way or another. It seems obvious to me that possessiveness born from those unrealized feelings is one of the reasons that fathers are often so aggressive when it comes to letting their daughters express themselves sexually. Just look up Purity Balls for a glaring example that Freud would have delighted in surveying.
Anyway, I'd like to take a moment to elaborate on my sig-pic:
The source is a Dark-fantasy manga series called Berserk, created by Kentarou Miura. Maybe some of you have even heard of it. It's not the best example of Miura's artistic skill by far but I Love the simplicity and context of the image: A weary man prepared for battle and carrying a tired little girl; Yet her added weight is not a burden but rather inspires a sense of freedom and positive feelings expressed in a most profound metaphor.
The little girl being carried by Guts is named Schierke, a Witch in the setting that the story takes place in, she maintains a sense of naive' and innocence around more adult concepts; nicely tempered by great knowledge of spiritual matters, Earth-shaking magical capabilities, worldly self-awareness and a constitution that enables her to withstand sights that would leave just about anyone else in a state of near catatonia. Her relationship with Guts goes beyond mere subtext, Schierke rapidly develops her first feelings of Romantic Love towards Guts and he shows that he cares for her deeply. For better or worse, he already has someone that he has a past history with and still considers his partner. So it is definitely unlikely that their relationship will ever be consummated: Still, it is a wonderfully subtle, realistic and moving portrayal of a Girl-Love relationship. Miura's abilities as a story-teller and artist are simply staggering in scope and depth.
I cannot recommend the series highly enough and it is much more than a story of Girl-Love; rather a grand epic that illuminates an impressive spectrum of human experience. Guts is an anti-hero (The influence of his character is readily apparent in many other forms of media when you know what to look for) and seems stereotypically coarse and brutal when we first meet him but quickly reveals subtext and depth beyond any expectations. Along with a past history that will leave you stunned and in awe.
What I find interesting and particularly relevant is what he finds himself standing against as the series progresses.
The world of Berserk is not a friendly place by any stretch, it's primarily a medieval setting with dark-fantasy elements. Unflinchingly depicting everything dark associated with that time and worse. The demonic entities that Guts faces off against are brought into being from Mankind's self-perpetuating desire to make himself suffer so as to have reasons for why he suffers. In the World of Berserk, this impulse has gained it's own sentience and actively pursues it's own ends on the psychical plane. Guts fights against the collective human ego made manifest; in a seemingly endless and brutal battle of attrition that is daunting and insurmountable. As such, I'm sure you can understand why I identify with him on that level. Anyone with conscious presence in our world can and that goes double for those of us fighting in any way we can for the freedom to Love whoever we chose in a world that currently finds darkness and ignorance to be so much more satisfying.