|
Article Excerpt
Mental health counselors are becoming more aware of sibling abuse in all of its forms. The literature addressing the nature of sibling abuse is increasing; however, there is little written about methods of treatment. Family systems theory as a framework for understanding the common family dynamics observed in families where there is sibling abuse is discussed. Lastly this paper presents a case example using family systems theory as a framework for conceptualizing and developing treatment.
**********
For many decades, mental health practitioners have been aware of the pervasive problem of child abuse. However, mental health professionals are only now beginning to become aware of other types of abuse within the family. One such type of abuse that is receiving increased attention is sibling abuse. Sibling abuse refers to emotional, physical, and sexual violence within a sibling dyad. It is ironic that this type of abuse has received little attention, given that it is now becoming increasingly recognized as the most common form of family domestic violence (Cole, 1990; Finkelhor, 1980; Gelles & Cornell, 1985; Gelles & Straus, 1988; Steinmetz, 1977; Straus, 1980; Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz, 1980). What little attention has been paid to sibling abuse in the counseling literature (Ascherman & Sailer, 1990; DeJong, 1989; Finkelhor, 1986a; Smith & Israel, 1987) has generally focused on the dynamics between the perpetrator and victim rather than family or systemic dynamics (Wiehe, 1991). The purpose of this paper is to (a) review the literature on sibling abuse and (b) specify ways in which this abuse can be treated within a family systems theoretical framework.
SIBLING ABUSE
In response to the increasing awareness by professionals to child abuse and particularly child sexual abuse, literature began to appear covering virtually every aspect of the problem from prevention to treatment of the offender and the child. The dynamic initially researched and written about was adult-to-child abuse. As professional understanding developed, Finkelhor (1986a) questioned whether sexual contact other than father-daughter might be under-discovered due in part to the lack of theory to sensitize professionals to its occurrence. The subject of sibling abuse, particularly incest, has received minimal clinical attention. It is under reported, in part, due to the lack of research and theory development (Ascherman & Sailer, 1990; DeJong, 1989; Smith & Israel, 1987).
An understanding of sibling relationships illuminates the many ways in which sibling relationships are different than parent-child relationships. Siblings often provide the ongoing sense of family for each other. Brothers and sisters can provide one another with life's longest intimate relationship often outlasting ties with parents by 20 or more years. Siblings share more of their lives genetically and contextually than anyone else. Siblings share knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and feelings regarding each other, beginning when one sibling first becomes psychologically aware of the other (Briere, 1984; Trepper & Barrett, 1989). Family systems theory supports this understanding of sibling relationships as well as parent-child relationships as being an interactive, interdependent network in which the behavior of each individual or subsystem modifies that of the other individuals or subsystems (Minuchin, 1985). It is the intimacy of this interdependent network that, when it breaks down, fosters violence. Yet, even with the increasing awareness of family violence, systems thinking has not incorporated basic tenets of abuse trauma theory and practice. Most family system investigators of child abuse trauma continue to focus on father-daughter incest despite recognition that sibling incest and assault occur more frequently (Wiehe 1991), and that such a dynamic is part of a family interdependent network.
Occasional studies acknowledging the harmful effects of sibling maltreatment began to appear in the professional literature by the 1990s, with much confusion and uncertainty as to the definitions of sibling abuse (Abrahams & Hoey, 1994; Canavan, Meyer & Higgs, 1992). A review of the literature indicates the following to be commonly used definitions of the elements of sibling abuse (Briere, 1984; Campbell & Carlson, 1995; Cunningham & MacFarlane, 1991; Finkelhor, 1980, 1984; Friedrich, 1990; Tepper & Barrett, 1989; Wiehe, 1991). Sibling physical abuse consists of willful acts resulting in physical injury such as slapping, hitting, biting, kicking, tickling, smothering, choking, or more violent behavior that may include the use of an instrument (e.g., a stick, bat, gun, or knife.) Psychological/emotional abuse is one of the most prevalent forms of sibling abuse. It is difficult to define, often persists under the guise of teasing, and includes neglecting of a sibling, exposing a sibling to violence by peers or other siblings, ridiculing, insulting, threatening, terrorizing, belittling, and rejecting a sibling. Sibling incest is sexual contact between a sibling dyad that is experienced by the victim as traumatic. This includes sexual behavior for which the victim is not developmentally prepared, which is not transitory, and which is not motivated by age-appropriate curiosity. It may involve physical touching, fondling, indecent exposure, attempted penetration, intercourse by coercion or force, or oral and anal sex. Non-contact sibling incest may encompass behavior that is intended to sexually stimulate a sibling or the offender. It can include unwanted sexual references in conversation, indecent exposure, forcing a sibling to observe the other's sexual behavior, taking pornographic pictures, or forcing a sibling to view pornography.
Even though the professional community was becoming more informed and educated to these phenomena, violent acts between siblings were still not coming to the attention of the authorities. In surveys of randomly selected families, it was found that there were high levels of physical acts between siblings and that violent acts between siblings occurred more frequently than between parent-child or partner to partner. Survey data indicated that 53 out of every 100 children per year attack a brother or sister. Estimates are that 35% of all girls have been sexually abused; the...
|
