Health status of abused and neglected children and their siblings

Fifty Greek children who had been neglected or physically abused by one or both parents were studied, along with their families. Of these 18 were single-child families. The other 32 children in the study, including two sets of twins, had a total of 53 siblings. In comparison with their siblings, the abused children were more frequently the result of an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. They had a higher incidence of perinatal problems and more illnesses in the first year of life. Almost half had feeding problems, their nutritional status was often poorer than that of their siblings, and they were characterized by their parents as being more difficult than the other children. In some cases there was evidence of a lesser degree of neglect or abuse in the siblings. More than twice as many boys as girls were abused, although there were more girls than boys amongst the siblings. This possibly reflects the higher value and as a result higher expectations that Greek culture places on male children.     

Perceptions of typically developing children in India about their siblings with disabilities

ABSTRACT

In India, people with disabilities often struggle to access various opportunities and resources. As a result of perceptions within the Indian culture around disabilities, families may face social, financial, and emotional difficulties. Within the family, a child with a disability may lead to strained relationships, particularly with siblings. Often siblings have little knowledge about disabilities and may feel ostracised. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the knowledge and attitudes of 12 Indian children regarding their siblings with disabilities, including their perceptions about disabilities against the backdrop of societal attitudes. Participants were interviewed to understand their knowledge of their siblings’ disabilities, to examine their sibling relationships, and to assess how school and society influenced their perceptions about disabilities. Results from this study can help family members understand how disability shapes relationships between children. The findings also provide key stakeholders with information that might help them better support families.     

How siblings resolve their conflicts: the importance of first offers, planning, and limited opposition

Sixty-four sibling dyads (4-12 years old; 61% males; 83% European-American) were asked to resolve an ongoing conflict. Older siblings provided leadership by suggesting, modifying, justifying, and requesting assent to plans for conflict resolution. Younger siblings countered and disagreed, but also contributed to planning and agreed to their siblings' plans. Compromises were associated with first offers that met both children's goals, future-oriented planning, and limited opposition. Win-loss outcomes followed offers favoring only one child and arguments over older siblings' plans. Conflicts were unresolved when negotiations included frequent accusations and opposition, but little planning. Thus mutually beneficial conflict resolution required that children shift focus from debating past wrongs to developing plans to meet their unrealized goals in future interaction.     

Individual differences in dynamic measures of verbal learning abilities in young twin pairs and their older siblings

We explored the genetic background of individual differences in dynamic measures of verbal learning ability in children, using a Dutch version of the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT). Nine-year-old twin pairs (N = 112 pairs) were recruited from the Netherlands Twin Register. When possible, an older sibling between 10 and 14 years old participated as well (N = 99). To assess verbal learning, non-linear curves were fitted for each child individually. Two parameters were estimated: Learning Speed (LS) and Forgetting Speed (FS). Larger twin correlations in monozygotic (MZ) than in dizygotic (DZ) and sibling pairs for LS and FS indicated the importance of genetic factors in explaining variation in these traits. The heritability estimate (percentage of variance explained by genetic factors) for LS was 43% for both twins and siblings. For FS heritability was estimated at 20% in twins and was slightly higher (30%) in their older siblings.     

Child abuse by siblings

The case histories of five children who inflicted serious injuries on their younger siblings are described in detail. The children shared several experiences in common: They had been physically abused themselves; their families were undergoing crises, which accentuated their maternal deprivation and rejection; they were burdened with excessive caretaking for the target sibling, who was perceived as the favorite; they had also experienced the recent loss of their father or paternal caretaker. The psychodynamics associated with sibling abuse represented an intensification of “normal” sibling rivalry due to the abuser's own maltreatment and deprivation. Pent-up rage towards the mother was displaced onto the sibling rival. The abusers made use of identification with the aggressor as a prominent mechanism of defense. The sibling attacks were adaptive for the abusers in the following ways: (a) They afforded them a measure of revenge against the more highly regarded sibling rival; (b) they served as an outlet for rage directed towards the mother; (c) they were used as an attention getting device; (d) they provided a sense of mastery over the trauma of their own abuse; and (e) were used to “educate” the abusing parent.     

Genetic and environmental etiologies of reading difficulties: DeFries-Fulker analysis of reading performance data from twin pairs and their nontwin siblings

Reading performance data from 254 pairs of identical (MZ) and 420 pairs of fraternal (DZ) twins, 8.0 to 20.0 years of age, were subjected to multiple regression analyses. An extension of the DeFries-Fulker (DF) analysis (DeFries & Fulker, 1985, 1988) that facilitated inclusion of data from 303 of their nontwin siblings was employed. In addition to providing estimates of heritability, this analysis yields a test of the difference between shared environmental influences for twins versus siblings (Astrom et al., 2011). Results suggest that proband reading deficits are due substantially to genetic factors (.67 ± .07, p < .001), and that shared environmental influences are significantly higher for members of twin pairs than for those of twins and their nontwin siblings (viz., .25 versus .17, p = .02).     

A support program for siblings of children with disabilities: What siblings learn and what they like

This study surveyed reactions and preferences related to a support program for siblings of children with disabilities. Following participation in a support group, 40 school-age siblings of children with disabilities completed a questionnaire about what they learned from the program and what program components they preferred. The results identified the benefits the participants received and the program components they preferred. Clinical utility is suggested for school personnel planning or implementing support programs for siblings of children with disabilities. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Consistency and change in mothers' behavior toward young siblings

Siblings differ markedly in behavioral development, and it has been suggested that differential maternal treatment may contribute significantly to these differences. The question of how consistently mothers treat their different children was examined in a study of 45 sibling pairs from the Colorado Adoption Project, in which each child at 24 months of age was videotaped at home with the mother. The results showed mothers to be consistent in affection and verbal responsiveness but to differ in their controlling behavior toward the 2 siblings. Comparison of the same mother's behavior to the 2 siblings at 12 months and at 24 months showed little stability in maternal behavior to the same child over this age period.     

Risk of maltreatment for siblings: Factors associated with similar and different childhood experiences in a dyadic sample of adult siblings

Siblings share the same environment and thus potentially a substantial number of risk factors for child maltreatment. Furthermore, the number of siblings and the sibling constellation itself might pose a risk for child maltreatment. Little is known about the likelihood that more than one child in a family is maltreated and which factors increase the risk. This study sought to investigate similarities and differences in maltreatment in siblings and risk factors associated with the maltreatment of more than one child from the same family. Data on maltreatment during childhood and adolescence, family background, and sibling constellation were collected from 870 pairs of siblings. In the dyadic analyses, siblings reported similar maltreatment experiences, especially when any type of maltreatment was considered. Parents’ mental health problems were significant predictors for maltreatment of at least one sibling. Father’s mental health problems were predictive of maltreatment of both or only the younger sibling, mother’s mental health problems of both or only the older sibling. Closeness in age and same gender of siblings did not emerge as a consistent predictor. The increasing number of siblings was a risk factor for any type of maltreatment of both siblings. The results highlight the need for preventive measures for families with a large number of children and with parents with mental health problems as well as a repeated risk assessment of all siblings in a family when one sibling was maltreated.     

Stress levels and attitudes of normal siblings of children with disabilities

This study examines the effects on normal children of the presence in the family of siblings with disabilities, attempting to measure both their level of stress and attitudes towards disability. The stress level and attitudes towards disability of normal siblings of children with disabilities (SCD) and siblings of normal children (SNC) were compared in terms of gender, family size and educational level. The stress level was measured by Holroyd's Questionnaire on Resources and Stress; attitudes towards disability were examined by Attitudes Towards Disabled Person Scale. 60 subjects participated in this study; 30 of them were SCD and 30 of them were SNC. t-test was used for data analysis. Results revealed a significant difference between the stress level of SCD and SNC. However, no significant difference was found between two sibling groups' attitudes towards disability. Also, gender, family size and educational level showed no significant difference either on the stress level of both sibling groups nor on their attitudes towards disability.This study is based on the master thesis of the first author.     

Sexual interactions among siblings and cousins: experimentation or exploitation?

Incest by cousins has not been well documented compared with sibling incest. The purpose of this study was to describe the features of incest by cousins and siblings presenting to a sexual assault center and to differentiate cases of abusive behavior from normal sexual exploration. Four criteria were considered indicative of abusive behavior: (1) age difference of greater than or equal to 5 years between victim and perpetrator; (2) use of force, threat, or authority by abuser; (3) attempted penile penetration; and (4) documented injury in victim. Of 831 sexually abused children less than 14 years of age evaluated for sexual assault complaints, 49 cases of cousin incest (5.9%) and 35 cases of sibling incest (4.2%) were identified. A total of 54 male cousins abused 8 boys and 41 girls; brothers abused 3 boys and 32 girls. The victims' median age was 5 years for cousins and 7 years for siblings. The perpetrators' mean age was 16.2 years for cousins and 15.5 years for siblings, with only 16 (19%) of all perpetrators being greater than 16 years old. Of the perpetrators, 66 (79%) were greater than or equal to 5 years older than their victims. All 18 victims with age differences of less than 5 years met one or more of the other abusive criteria. A similar pattern of adolescent perpetrators having abusive sexual contact with young children was demonstrated by analysis of cousin incest and sibling incest in this study. Appropriate case management requires understanding of normal sexual experimentation and recognition of the abusive nature of these cases.