Sibling Violence Research Articles

A Descriptive Analysis of Siblicide: Examining Ten Years of Incidents Reported in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), 2013–2022

ABSTRACT Siblicide, the killing of one sibling at the hands of another, is an extreme act along the arc of sibling violence, situated within the family violence paradigm. Purpose: Siblicide in the human population remains poorly understood and under-examined in need of contemporary baseline descriptive profiles examining victim, offender, and incident-level characteristics to develop a new base of knowledge, without age or sex limitations, to facilitate future research and practice opportunities including intervention, prevention, and policy. Methods: The study draws on 10 years of officially reported siblicide in National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data, 2013–2022, (N = 862). Results: Analyses suggest siblicide is more frequent among adult siblings than youth siblings. Fratricides are more prevalent than sororicides and more likely to include a firearm and result from an argument. Sororicides are more likely to include multiple offenders and/or victims. Conclusion: Assessing large-scale data to better understand the scope and scale of the problem, including the nexus of victims, offenders, and incident criteria, is an important step toward a framework of knowledge to facilitate micro-level study within the family dynamic leading to early intervention and prevention of siblicide.

Experiences With Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence in Childhood and Adult Attachment in a Sample of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals

To the best of our knowledge, no research has been conducted specifically examining the influence of physical and emotional sibling violence on adult attachment in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. To address this gap, we conducted an exploratory research study using survey methods and asked a sample of 150 participants about their experiences with physical and emotional sibling violence in childhood and attachment in close relationships in adulthood. We found an association between physical and emotional sibling violence and closeness to and dependency on others in adulthood, but no association with fear of abandonment and rejection by others. Implications include the need for psychoeducation and for practitioners to assess for physical and emotional sibling violence when working with individuals and families with members who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual.

Forgotten Violence: Social and Cultural Contexts of Sibling Abuse in Afghanistan (A Case Study of Students - District 6 of Kabul)

Background and Purpose: The probability of a person being subjected to violence in the family is much higher than outside the family. The purpose of this research is to examine family violence, especially sibling violence among families in Kabul province, Afghanistan. Methodology: This research was conducted using a simple accessible sampling method with several 370 boys and girls in the families of Kabul using a researcher-made questionnaire. Findings and Conclusions: Descriptive findings show that among the families of Kabul city, physical abuse by siblings is 26.4%, psychological abuse by siblings is 26.4%, and lastly, siblings are sexually abused by 10.2%. is placed the age of the victim of sibling abuse was more than 16 years old in boys and girls (54.5%) had the highest frequency. 28% had the most sibling abuse in children 4 and later, 54.5% of Tajiks and 41.5% of early education had high levels of sibling abuse in their families. On the other hand, 37.6% of unemployed families, 36% of low-income families, 50% of parents living alone, and 54.4% of families with vehicles had more frequency of sibling abuse. Analytical findings show that the cultural and social characteristics of families, such as the level of parental education, poverty, and unemployment, have an effect on the level of violence between siblings, and students who have a lower level of family background than They told others, violence has become more prevalent among them. The results show that social factors and cultural levels within families are effective in the level of violence among children; therefore, if a society can strengthen the normative and cultural components of families through education, it can improve the health of families.

Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence Behaviors with Closest-Aged Siblings in Childhood: An Exploratory Study Examining Associations with Sibling Relationships in Adulthood

Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence Behaviors with Closest-Aged Siblings in Childhood: An Exploratory Study Examining Associations with Sibling Relationships in Adulthood

Parental Witnessing of Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence in Their Children: Associations with Parental Experiences of Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence and ACEs in Childhood

ABSTRACT Parents often face a considerable amount of stress around managing their children’s relationships. One source of stress can include instances of physical and emotional sibling violence (PESV). While this form of family violence has received minimal attention compared to other types of family violence, there is a need to better understand parental witnessing of PESV and how it is associated with parents’ childhood experiences of PESV as well as adverse childhood experiences. This research study examines the association of parents’ childhood experiences of PESV and adverse childhood experiences with witnessing PESV in their children while controlling for current family context variables and childhood family context variables. In a sample of 146 parents recruited from Qualtrics’ research panels, parental witnessing of PESV between their children was correlated with both parental experiences of PESV in childhood and adverse childhood experiences. In the regression models, only parental experiences of PESV in childhood, abusive adverse childhood events, and having less education than a bachelor’s degree were associated with parental witnessing of PESV between their children when controlling for other variables. The results of the research indicate a potential intergenerational transmission of PESV. Implications of the research support the need for practitioners and those working with parents and families to assess for PESV and educate on this form of family violence to help parents intervene when physical and emotional sibling violence occurs.

Sibling Violence and Bullying Behaviors in Peers: The Mediational Role of Self-Esteem.

In the context of the existing research on families, sibling violence is a less explored area. However, it has seemingly received more attention recently, and it can assume a relevant role in understanding the maladaptive behavior of youngsters and bullying. Additionally, adolescents involved in bullying and self-esteem are associated with disruptive violence inside the family context. This study's sample consisted of 286 students, aged between 12 and 17 years, from both sexes. This study intends to explore the association between sibling violence and bullying behavior in peers and the mediator effect of self-esteem. The measures for data collection were a demographic questionnaire, the Social Exclusion and School Violence Questionnaire, The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (Portuguese version for siblings), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The results show a negative effect between negotiation in the sibling relationship (victimization) and social exclusion and verbal aggression related to bullying behavior. Self-esteem represents a total and negative mediator in this connection. Our results also show a variety of indirect outcomes amongst the negotiation dimension, psychological aggression and injury between siblings, and the social exclusion and verbal aggression dimensions (on the aggression and victimization scales). The results will be discussed according to the attachment theory but considering the importance of affective bonds with siblings as a predisposing factor to an adaptive development course.

Emotional Maltreatment of Children and Adolescents - Definitions, Prevalences, Risk Factors and Psychological Consequences

The aim of this article is to provide an introductory overview of the phenomenon of emotional maltreatment of children and adolescents by presenting national and international literature and, in particular, to illustrate the consequences for the mental health of those affected. First, relevant definitions are made and forms of appearance of emotional child maltreatment are presented. A comparison of national and global prevalences shows that emotional child maltreatment is one of the most prevalent forms of child maltreatment. There are different risk factors that can exist at the level of the parents as well as at the level of the children or the environment. The risk that children and adolescents who have experienced emotional violence will have experienced other forms of childmaltreatment is high.There aremultiple consequences for victims of emotional child maltreatment which can result in different, longterm participatory impairments. Especially the psychological and somatic consequences of emotional childmaltreatment can be compared to the consequences of child sexual abuse and physical child maltreatment. Nevertheless, the significance of emotional maltreatment for affected children and adolescents is still underestimated in practice. Often, the effects of emotionalmaltreatment on those affected are not visible. Froma child and adolescent psychiatric/ psychotherapeutic perspective, the psychological consequences must therefore be clearly stated. Finally, there is a need for a broader understanding of emotional child maltreatment that also includes peer and sibling violence.

Associations between child abuse and neglect, and dento-alveolar injuries in a Children's hospital population.

The purpose of this study was to identify social variables common to children with dento-alveolar trauma (DAT) and child abuse and neglect (CAN) in a large children's hospital population. Emergency department data from an urban trauma Level 1 children's hospital were queried between December 02, 2017 and September 30, 2022 to identify children with both DAT and CAN. Patients with DAT and CAN were compared to DAT-only children in a case-control study design. Descriptive statistics were used to report characteristics of children in case and control groups. Chi-Squared and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare cases and controls. The level of significance was set at p ≤ .05. In total, 14 children who had DAT and CAN reported simultaneously comprised the case group. A total of 42 children with DAT-only, age/sex matched with cases, comprised the control group. Mean (SD) age of cases was 10.4 (±4) and controls was 10.1 (±3.9) years-old. Eight cases (57.1%) and 24 controls (57.1%) were female. No statistical differences (p = .05) were present for language, race, insurance coverage, parental custody, legal guardianship, and type of residence for cases versus controls. Five (35.7%) cases had a special need versus 4 (9.5%) controls and was statistically different (p = .03). Nine (64.3%) cases had behavioral problems versus 13 (31%) controls (p = .05). Cases were more likely to have facial injuries than controls (74.3 vs. 31%), however no significant differences were present for total number of injured teeth, head injury or neck injury between cases and controls. In half of cases, the perpetrator reported was the sibling. Demographics did not predict CAN in children with dental injuries. Sibling violence should be considered in suspected CAN children.

Sibling Violence and Position in Sibling Dyad in a Sample of Adolescents: How Does It Relate to Self-Esteem?

(1) Background: Research regarding sibling violence is still scarce, although it is the most common type of intrafamily violence. Every sibling’s position in the sibling dyad seems to influence this type of violent conduct since every status has its characteristics. Siblings involved in aggressive behavior seem to be described as having low self-esteem. This study intends to test the predictive effect of self-esteem, sibling position and sex on sibling violence development. (2) Method: The sample consists of 286 students, aged between 12 and 17 years, from both sexes. A social demographic questionnaire and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales—the Portuguese Sibling Version (CTS2-SP) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used for data collection. (3) Results: The results show an association between self-esteem in sibling violence, as well as an association between sibling position on negotiation and sexual coercion’s perpetration and victimization. Sex also predicts the negotiation of psychological aggression’s perpetration and psychological and physical aggression’s victimization. (4) Discussion: the results will be discussed according to the attachment theory, considering the importance of affective bonds with siblings as adaptive development facilitators.

Latent sibling violence

This article analyses latent violence to highlight important aspects of our empirical data: qualitative interviews with women who have been subjected to violence by their siblings. The concept points to the fear experienced by victims in close relationships, and the adaptations they make to avoid violence. Although the concept has been applied to family and intimate partner violence, it is also useful to describe sibling violence. Latent violence occurs when violence is not openly acknowledged; indeed, sibling violence often goes unnoticed. This invisibility can be associated with experiences of powerlessness and unpredictability for victims, who may have difficulty defining their experiences. While we emphasize the vulnerability described in the interviews, we also highlight and explore the interviewees’ strategies of resistance. Our interviewees describe how they created alternative safe spaces in spite of the violent context in which they lived, including the use of hideouts and secret refuges, outdoor places as well as fantasy spaces or escape plans. Their strategies show that children subject to latent sibling violence should be understood not as passive victims, but as actively strategizing to cope with situations that many cannot escape due to their age and lack of parental understanding.

Understanding sibling violence and its impact over the life course: The case of Ghana.

Sibling relationships are a significant part of family dynamics, and sibling violence may be manifested in these relationships. Sibling violence has rarely been examined in the domestic violence literature on sub-Saharan Africa, so little is known about its prevalence or consequences. This study used a life course perspective to examine the effects of sibling violence on Ghanaian women's intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and perpetration in adulthood. Data were collected from about 1700 ever-married Ghanaian women aged 18 years and above between May and August 2022. Logit models were used to explore retrospective accounts of women's experience of various types of sibling violence in childhood and their later victimization and/or perpetration of IPV. Results showed sibling violence was prevalent in our sample: 51.2% experienced sibling emotional violence, 39.5% experienced physical violence, and 2.3% experienced sexual violence. Our findings generally supported the life course perspective. Women with experiences of sibling physical, sexual, and emotional violence were significantly more likely to perpetrate physical, sexual, and emotional IPV in adulthood. Similarly, women with experiences of sibling violence were more likely to report IPV victimization in later years. Domestic violence interventions should pay attention to sibling relationships in children's early years.

Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence in Childhood and Attachment in Close Relationships in Adulthood.

Despite the consequences of physical and emotional sibling violence, which can last into adulthood, research examining this form of family violence is minimal compared to child abuse, interpartner violence, and elder abuse. One area that has received scarce attention is the connection between physical and emotional sibling violence and attachment in close relationships in adulthood. This research study examines the association between physical and emotional sibling violence and adulthood attachment in a sample of 2,458 individuals who completed a survey on the sub-Reddit platform "/r/SampleSize: Where your opinions actually matter!" Participants completed items on demographics, frequency of physical and emotional behaviors experienced with a sibling in childhood, and adult attachment. Results found physical and emotional sibling violence in childhood to be associated with attachment in close relationships in adulthood. Frequency of physical and emotional sibling violence in childhood was also associated with comfortability with intimacy and closeness, comfortability of depending and relying on others, and concerns of abandonment and rejection by others in adulthood. The findings underscore the need to not only include physical and emotional sibling violence in future research on attachment but also to examine the connection between these phenomena in diverse samples (ethnicity, sexual orientation). Also highlighted is the need for practitioners to assess sibling relationships when working with children, families, and adults experiencing attachment issues throughout the life course.

Shared and unique characteristics of school, cyber and family victimization among school‐aged children in Hong Kong

AbstractVictimizations from online and offline violence, such as sibling violence, school violence and witness of family violence, both have negative associations with victims' mental health and may share similar individual and family characteristics. This study aims to explore the common and differentiated characteristics in the prediction of school, cyber and family victimization and whether there are unique associations within these victimization types. We employed a two‐stage stratified sampling method to collect a representative sample of 5567 children aged 3–17 from a cross‐sectional, school‐based survey in Hong Kong. Results showed that all types of child victimization, including sibling, school and cyberbullying, as well as the witness of violence at home, were positively correlated with each other. Children's age was positively related to the occurrence and cooccurrence of all types of child victimization. Frequent family residential mobility and parents' higher education level were positively related to all types of children's victimization. The scores of all aspects of children's paediatric quality of life were found negatively related to children's school victimization. This study provides insight into the unique and shared elements of children's online and offline victimization. Knowledge of the distinguished familial gradients of child victimization at home and beyond could benefit the development of child victimization prevention.

Особенности насилия в сиблинговых отношениях: сравнительный анализ отечественных и зарубежных публикаций

<p><span lang="EN-US">The article presents the results of a qualitative analysis of scientific publications on the problem of violence in sibling relations on domestic and foreign information platforms. It is shown that the problem of violence in sibling relationships has been studied for about 100 years and has a rich history and a wide study space. Unfortunately, among the scientific publications on the problem under consideration, there is an insufficient number of domestic studies. The data obtained made it possible to identify areas of study of the problem and conduct a qualitative comparative analysis of the text material, including the names of articles, their annotations and the text of open access articles. The study identifies the following main areas of consideration of violence among siblings: characteristics of violence (personal characteristics of siblings and their relationships); forms of violence (physical, sexual, psychological, etc.); the health effects of violence on siblings (ranging from bruises, bites to death); methods of psychological assistance and diagnosis of violence (methods of assistance, diagnostic tools and their sensitivity to the study of the problem); factors of violence among siblings (biological, psychological, social, etc.); intergenerational transmission of domestic violence (mechanisms of transmission and features of manifestation), the influence of violence among siblings on relations with others (social space of siblings). As special topics for the study of violence among siblings, the following are highlighted: crimes between siblings; sibling violence during the pandemic; the innocuous perception of violence among siblings; violence among siblings in movies; religious aspects of Sibling violence. Comparative analysis made it possible to establish the dominant problems and their interrelation, as well as the place of violence in sibling relationships in the development of their personality, family space, in personal life, as well as in relations with the social environment.</span></p>

Ambiguous but Crucial Boundaries - Professionals Differentiating Sibling Abuse from Sibling Quarrels

ABSTRACT The subject of sibling violence is a blind spot in both social research and popular culture in Sweden, where we have conducted our empirical study. There is a normalizing discourse around sibling quarreling, with the act generally being seen as a natural part of children’s development. On the other hand, there is a problematizing discourse in an international context; violence perpetrated by and against a sibling has been highlighted as one of the most common forms of violence perpetrated against children. However, the difference between sibling quarrel (or rivalry) and sibling violence (or abuse) often does not come out clearly in existing studies. To put sibling violence on the map of existing societal problems, we need to both critically review definitions and examine how the phenomenon of sibling violence differs from related phenomena, such as sibling quarrels, in the experience of professionals who (potentially) meet victims in their work. The emphasis in the article is on social boundary work, analyzing interviews with social workers and psychotherapists regarding this phenomenon. The analysis shows that it is possible to define sibling violence, though complex, when it comes to how the boundaries are shaped and interpreted in concrete social and psychological work, as well as different situations and contexts.

Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence Among South Asian Immigrants in the United States

Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence Among South Asian Immigrants in the United States

Parental experiences and witnessing of physical and emotional sibling violence: Associations with community type, adverse childhood events, and attitudes on sibling relationships

Minimal research has been conducted examining the intergenerational connections of physical and emotional sibling violence (SV), specifically aspects from parents’ childhoods that may influence the occurrence of violent behaviors between siblings. Furthermore, research examining parental attitudes on sibling relationships and how these relate to the occurrence of SV between their children remain under-examined in the literature. This exploratory study examines the influence of community type, adverse childhood events (ACEs), parental experiences of SV in their childhood as well as parental attitudes about sibling relationships on parent-witnessed SV between their children. Results for the sample included indicate that parental ACEs, parental experiences of SV in childhood, parent-witnessed SV in their children and attitudes on sibling relationships are related. Differences in community types for ACEs, parental experiences of SV in childhood, parents-witnessed SV in their children, and parental attitudes on sibling relationships were also found. In the regression models, ACEs predicted both parental experiences of SV in childhood and parent-witnessed SV between their children. Finally, along with parental ACEs, parental attitudes on agonism in sibling relationships as well as parental experiences of SV in childhood predicted those parent-witnessed SV between their children. Implications of the findings for practice and future research are discussed.

Depression Transmission From Parents to Their Adult Children in China: The Mediating Role of Family Violence.

Depression can be transmitted from parents to children through the gene-environment interaction. Previous studies have focused on the short-term effects of parental depression on children and adolescents while neglecting the long-term effects. Furthermore, as a major indicator of stressful environment, the mediating role of different types of family violence has rarely been studied. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term effects of parental depressive symptoms on those of adult children and to explore the potential mediating roles of different types of family violence (physical abuse, witnessing interparental violence, and sibling violence) in China. Data came from the 2014 and 2018 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which consisted of 10,973 participants aged 45 years and older. Logistic regression models were performed. The total effect was decomposed into direct and indirect effects by logistic regression based on the Karlson/Holm/Breen (KHB) method. The results indicated that parental depressive symptoms were related to adult children's depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.16-1.25]). The KHB method showed that this relationship was mediated by physical abuse (OR, 1.01; 95% CI [1.00-1.01]) and witnessing interparental violence (OR, 1.01; 95% CI [1.01-1.02]). In China, depression can be transmitted from parents to their adult children through family violence. The findings suggest that regular mental health screening across entire lifespan and family violence prevention programs targeting depressed parents may bring long-term benefit to adult children's mental health.

Bibliometric analysis of research relating to sibling violence reported over the period 1990–2021

Bibliometric analysis of research relating to sibling violence reported over the period 1990–2021

Opportunities and challenges in preventing violence against adolescent girls through gender transformative, whole-family support programming in Northeast Nigeria

BackgroundHousehold violence is one of the most prevalent forms of gender-based violence faced by adolescent girls in humanitarian settings. A growing evidence base demonstrates the extent to which multiple forms of familial violence, including intimate partner violence, violence against children, and sibling violence overlap in the same households. However, existing evidence of family support programming that effectively reduces violence against girls by addressing intersecting forms of household violence are limited, particularly in the Global South. Through a qualitative implementation evaluation informed by a grounded theoretical approach, we explored the perceived impact of a gender transformative, whole-family support intervention aimed at building adolescent girls’ protective assets against violence, among program participants in two communities of internally displaced people Maiduguri, Borno State, Northeast Nigeria.MethodsWe conducted six in-depth interviews and six focus group discussions with adult caregivers; six participatory activities and four paired interviews with adolescent girls and boys; and 12 key informant interviews with program staff. Criterion sampling was used to recruit 21 male caregivers, 21 female caregivers, 23 adolescent boys, and 21 adolescent girls; purposive sampling was used to recruit 12 program staff to participate in qualitative research activities. We audio recorded, translated, and transcribed all interviews. In a collaborative coding process, a multi-stakeholder team used applied thematic analysis in Dedoose to identify emergent themes in the data.ResultsParticipants reported a decreased tolerance for and perpetration of violence against girls at the household level, and endorsed their right to protection from violence at the community level. However, alongside these self-reported changes in attitude and behavior, aspects of normative, patriarchal norms governing the treatment of adolescent girls were maintained by participants.ConclusionsThis study builds the evidence base for gender transformative, whole-family support programming and its impact on preventing violence against adolescent girls in humanitarian emergencies. Situating our findings in a feminist analysis of violence, this study calls attention to the complexity of gender norms change programming amongst families in conflict-affected settings, and highlights the need for programming which holistically addresses the relational, community, and structural drivers of violence against girls in emergencies.