Brief report: Physical health of adolescent perpetrators of sibling aggression

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.

Self and parent-reported sleep problems of adolescents with childhood conduct problems and comorbid psychological problems

INTRODUCTION

Childhood conduct problems (CP) are characterized by maladaptive externalizing behaviors and are linked with poor sleep. CP are highly comorbid with other psychological problems, including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and depression, which are also associated with disturbed sleep. The present study examined if childhood CP and comorbid depressive and/or attentional-hyperactivity problems were prospectively associated with parent and self-reported sleep difficulties in adolescence.

METHODS

Participants (N = 744; 53% boys) from an ongoing longitudinal study in Québec, Canada were assessed for CP and comorbidities when they were between 6 and 9 years old. Participants were classified as without CP, CP only, CP and depressive symptoms, CP and attention-hyperactivity problems, or CP, depressive symptoms, and attention-hyperactivity problems. Regressions were conducted to examine the associations between comorbidity groups, parent, and self-reported sleep problems 7 years later (Median age = 15.33 years), controlling for sex, age, family income, primary caregiver education and medication.

RESULTS

Adolescents in all CP groups had higher self and parent-reported sleep problems compared to adolescents without histories of CP. Adolescents with histories of CP, depressive symptoms and attention-hyperactivity problems had more sleep problems than all other groups according to self-reports, but not parent-reports.

CONCLUSION

Childhood CP was prospectively linked to sleep problems in adolescence, and comorbid conditions exacerbated these problems, according to youth but not parents.

Family Dynamics and Young Adults' Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Sibling Bullying

Although a common form of family violence, sibling bullying is often viewed as harmless by families and society. Consequently, it has not received as much attention in research compared with peer bullying or other types of family violence, such as interpartner violence, child abuse, and elder abuse. Considering that sibling relationships have lasting effects on children's development, this retrospective study focused on the antecedents and outcomes of sibling bullying. Grounded in family system theory and social learning theory, it explored whether sibling bullying during childhood and adolescence mediated the relationship between negative family dynamics (i.e., sibling rivalry, interparental hostility, and parental hostility) and young adults' well-being (i.e., sense of competence, internalized problems, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life). Data from 216 respondents were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results revealed that young adults who reported higher levels of sibling rivalry and interparental hostility were more likely to be victims of sibling bullying. In turn, sibling bullying was associated with lower sense of competence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction, as well as more internalized problems. Parents' hostile behaviors toward their children were not associated with sibling bullying but were negatively associated with well-being in early adulthood. Our work underlines the importance of harmonious family dynamics and the need for sibling bullying to be taken more seriously by parents and family members. From a clinical point of view, our findings suggest that clinicians and human service workers should adopt a family-level approach when trying to reduce sibling bullying and its negative outcomes by educating parents about the interdependence of family relationships.