Shedding Light on Sibling Abuse:
A Vital Conversation for National Sibling Day
The 10th of April marks National Sibling Day, which serves as a celebration of the unique bond shared between brothers and sisters. It’s a time when social media feeds are covered with nostalgic pictures and heartwarming anecdotes highlighting the joys of siblinghood. However, amidst the laughter and camaraderie, there exists a dark reality that often remains concealed: abuse between siblings.
Sibling abuse is a form of domestic violence that occurs within the family dynamic, yet it frequently goes unnoticed or dismissed as normal sibling rivalry. Abuse between siblings is not the normal quarrels, rivalry or rough housing, it is the ‘physical emotional, and/or sexual abuse of one sibling by another.’ (Baker, et al., 2017). Research indicates that sibling violence, whilst not often recognised as a form of abuse (Kettrey & Emery, 2006), is harmful and can have both negative short-term and long-term effects.
One of the challenges in addressing sibling abuse is the lack of awareness and understanding surrounding this issue, this is partly due to it being the ‘least studied form of family violence’ despite being the ‘most prevalent’ (Eriksen & Jensen, 2009). Short-term consequences of sibling abuse include increased loneliness, psychological difficulties, poor peer relations, behavioural problems at school, aggression, delinquency and anxiety (Kettrey & Emery, 2006). Highlighting these short-term consequences, shows the urgent need to recognize and address sibling abuse to prevent further harm to individuals during their formative years. Similarly, long-term effects show the enduring impact on victim’s sibling abuse has. Long-term effects include difficulty with interpersonal relationships, repeating the victim role in other relationships, self-blame, eating disorders, substance abuse, depression, and PTSD (Kettrey & Emery, 2006).
The potential effects that sibling abuse can have in both the long and short term, highlights the need for discussions around the topic to be brought to the forefront of family violence research. Understanding both the short-term and long-term effects emphasizes how important it is to help victims early and provide support. Bringing attention to sibling abuse helps people recognize it sooner, so they can intervene and prevent long-lasting harm to the mental health of victims. Plus, addressing sibling abuse can make families safer and build healthier sibling relationships, which benefits everyone’s well-being.
If you or someone you know needs long-term counselling support, refer them to us. Quetzal offers free-long-term counselling services to survivors of childhood sexual abuse in the LLR region. If you’re someone who doesn’t live in the area, check out our useful numbers page for services that might be able to help you.
References
- Baker, L., Lalonde, D. & Tabibi, J., 2017. Issue 21: Sibling Violence. [Online]
Available at: https://gbvlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/issuebased_newsletters/issue-21/index.html
[Accessed 31 March 2024]. - Eriksen, S. & Jensen, V., 2009. A Push or a Punch: Distinguishing the Severity of Sibling Violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 24(1), pp. 183-208.
- Kettrey, H. H. & Emery, B. C., 2006. The Discourse of Sibling Violence. Journal of Family Violence, 21(6), pp. 407-416.
– Written by Amelia Phillips, Campaigns Volunteer at Quetzal
