Childhood Exposure to Family Violence and Later-Life Sibling Relationships

There has been a growth in research examining the long-term effects of childhood adversity on later life outcomes; however, only a few studies have examined the impact that childhood adversity has on sibling relationships in late adulthood. To address this gap in the literature, the current study examines the latent class structure of childhood exposure to family violence and investigates whether a latent class membership is associated with aspects of later-life sibling relationships, including geographical proximity, frequency of contact, perceived closeness, similarity in outlook, and exchange of support. Using data from 3,921 adult participants in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study and the Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars (BCH) approach of latent class analysis (LCA), we identified five latent classes (prevalence rate noted): “Never experienced violence (75%),” “experienced sibling violence (7%),” “experienced parental abuse & witnessed domestic violence (4%),” “experienced father’s abuse & witnessed domestic violence (10%),” “experienced mother’s abuse & witnessed domestic violence (5%)”. Childhood exposure to family violence was a significant predictor of later-life sibling relationships. Specifically, adults who experienced sibling violence and their mother’s and/or father’s abuse in childhood showed significantly lower perceived closeness and similarity in outlook with their siblings in adulthood than those who did not experience violence. Our findings suggest that childhood exposure to family violence may have a long-term negative impact on the emotional aspect of sibling relationships. Future research may explore how the impact of childhood adversity on sibling relationships affects other aspects of adult lives, such as individual well-being or caregiving for aging parents.

Understanding Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence: Perspectives From Group Facilitators of Parent Intervention Groups for Child Maltreatment

Physical and emotional sibling violence is a common form of family violence with negative repercussions. Research on the experiences and perceptions of practitioners regarding sibling violence is scant. The researchers interviewed facilitators of parent intervention groups for child maltreatment to understand how sibling violence impacts the families they work with. This exploratory qualitative study examines the perspectives on sibling violence of five group facilitators. An inductive thematic analysis process was used to code the data and develop themes. Five themes emerged from the analysis including Parents lack of knowledge and awareness regarding sibling violence, Stress in parents and the family system, Crossing the line, Individual and developmental aspects, and Mechanisms to help parents address sibling violence. Facilitators identified challenges with definition and assessment of sibling violence, potential contributing factors for the occurrence of sibling violence, as well as strategies to help these families. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Aggression and Violence Affecting Youth During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review

Experiencing aggression and violence has long-term developmental effects. Youth have indirectly or directly experienced aggression and violence during COVID-19. Aggression and violence have been happening in communities throughout the world, and with excessive social media exposure, youth are observing violence. Partner violence has also been experienced at home along with sibling violence. Being the target of aggression/violence has been reported by youth via texting hotlines and via self and parent-report surveys. This narrative review includes summaries of this COVID-19 research as well as potential underlying mechanisms for aggression/violence including frustration and touch deprivation. Limitations of these studies include their nonrepresentative samples and cross-sectional data deriving from different pandemic periods.

Inter-sibling violence as a mechanism of hegemony: retrospective accounts from a non-binary and LGBTQ+ sample in the United States

Gender-based violence refers to the violence that gendered individuals, typically women and girls, experience due to patriarchal systems of inequality which position woman and girls as objects of discipline and control. One patriarchal system, the nuclear family, is particularly prone to gender inequality and thus violence. This article engages in a theory-building exercise to explain the gendering of violence as it occurs within inter-sibling relationships. More specifically, it posits that inter-sibling violence serves as a mechanism of heteromasculine hegemony. The authors analysed the retrospective accounts of 31 non-binary and LGBTQ+ individuals’ experiences with inter-sibling violence, focusing on gender within the family in the United States. Data suggest that women and non-binary assigned female at birth (AFAB) individuals are at greater risk for inter-sibling violence than men, although those assigned male at birth (AMAB) may also be at risk if they exhibit subordinate masculinities in childhood. The study highlights how gender-based violence permeates throughout family relationships, including those between siblings.<br /><br />Key messages<br /><ul><li>Gender-based violence extends into sibling relationships.</li><br /><li>Experiences with inter-sibling violence differ in important ways for transgender and gender non-binary individuals.</li><br /><li>Inter-sibling violence is a gender-based violence and serves as a mechanism of hegemony.</li></ul>

Czy „rodzeństwo zawsze się bije”? Znormalizowana przemoc między rodzeństwem w dzieciństwie — stan badań, skala zjawiska, doświadczenia dorosłego rodzeństwa

This article deals with the problem of sibling violence in childhood. According to the data, children are particularly often the victims of physical and psychological abuse from their brothers and sisters. However, this topic is relatively rarely discussed in Polish sociological and psychological literature. Among other reasons, there is a tendency to perceive violence between children as irrelevant and as an unavoidable element of childhood. The author has three purposes. First, she presents the state of expertise on sibling violence. Second, she presents data obtained from the Empowering Children Foundation on how many children report sibling violence to the Helpline and thus illustrates the scale of the phenomenon in Poland. Third, she attempts to show how the experience of sibling violence in childhood is reflected in the stories adults recount in regard to their biographies and their relations with their siblings. Cases are cited that illustrate the various circumstances of physical and psychological violence in sibling relations.

Sibling Violence and Psychological Adjustment: The Role of Maladaptive Coping and Maternal Authoritativeness

This study examined the phenomenon of sibling violence in Singapore. The underlying mechanisms through which maternal authoritativeness and maladaptive coping influenced psychological adjustment following sibling violence were also investigated. Questionnaires were administered to 287 female and 128 male Singaporean college students between the ages of 18 to 27. Results showed that lifetime and past-year prevalence estimates of sibling violence in college students in Singapore were 89.9% and 62.0%, respectively. Lifetime psychological sibling violence involvement and past-year sibling violence involvement (both physical and psychological) were significantly related to maladaptive coping and overall psychological adjustment; lifetime sibling violence involvement was significantly related to maternal authoritativeness, anxiety, and depression only. Maladaptive coping was found to be a significant mediator between past-year physical and psychological sibling violence involvement and two measures of psychological adjustment, anxiety and depression. Maternal authoritativeness functioned as a moderator only for the relationship between past-year psychological sibling violence exposure and psychological adjustment. At low but not high levels of maternal authoritativeness, past-year psychological violence involvement was significantly related to higher levels of anxiety and depression, and lower levels of self-esteem. These findings show that sibling violence is a pervasive problem in Asian countries as well, such as in Singapore. There is a need to educate both the public and the relevant authorities so that steps can be taken to protect those who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing such violence. Through elucidating the role of maternal authoritativeness and maladaptive coping, the present study also suggests new avenues for interventions to reduce the adverse effects of sibling violence. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.