June 17, 2013
Bullying by a brother or sister can cause as much psychological damage as bullying by peers, a new study suggests. The study was based on the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence. About 3,600 children took part in the study. Children ages 10 and older were interviewed themselves. Parents answered questions for younger children. Questions addressed 4 types of aggression. Physical attacks were divided into 2 types: those that used a weapon or caused injury and those that did neither. Researchers also asked about property theft and psychological attacks such as saying mean things. People were asked if any of these things had occurred in the last year and if the attack came from a peer or a sibling. Children also were asked standard questions to measure their levels of anxiety, depression and other types of psychological distress. Children who reported either peer or sibling attacks had higher levels of distress than those who did not. Those who were bullied by both peers and siblings reported the most distress. The journal Pediatrics published the study online June 17. The New York Times, USA Today and HealthDay News wrote about it.
By Henry H. Bernstein, D.O.
Harvard Medical School
What Is the Doctor's Reaction?
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
Sound familiar? Brothers and sisters (siblings) fight. Some fight a lot. Many of us think this a normal part of growing up. After all, who has never had a disagreement with a brother or sister? New research shows that fighting between siblings may be a more serious problem than we thought.
In a recent study, researchers looked at children who were bullied by their siblings. They wanted to see if being picked on by a brother or sister might change a child's mental health. The journal Pediatrics published the study.
More than 3,500 children were studied. They ranged from 1 month to 17 years old. The researchers interviewed the parents of children less than 10 years old. They talked directly with 10- to 17-year-olds. The researchers asked whether or not the child had an attack (aggression) by a sibling, peers or both during the last year. An attack meant things like:
These interview questions were part of a nationwide survey called the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence. The authors then looked at the children's mental health with checklists used in past studies.
Peer aggression is often seen as a bigger problem than sibling aggression. This study showed that both sibling and peer aggression predicted worse mental health. Sibling aggression was linked with much worse mental health for all children and teens than researchers thought before. This happened with both mild and severe forms of sibling aggression.
The study authors encourage parents to be aware of any bullying or attacks between their children. This type of behavior can harm their children's mental health. It should not be thought of as just a normal part of the sibling bond.
What Changes Can I Make Now?
Bullying by peers is a known problem. It has received much attention in the media. Now it seems that bullying between brothers and sisters should not be dismissed as normal. Bullying by a sibling, like bullying by a peer, is not OK. Bullies not only frighten a child, but also can shake confidence or even cause bodily injury.
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers these tips for helping your child respond to bullies:
Teach your child how to:
Teach your child how to say in a firm voice:
It is not enough just to tell your child to do and say these things. It may be very difficult for them at first. Lots of practice may be needed. It is important to practice. Then, when the child is actually being bullied, he or she can handle it better.
Teach your child when and how to ask for help. Your child should not be afraid to ask an adult (including you) for help if he or she is being picked on by a bully. Some children may be embarrassed about being bullied. So it is important to tell them that the bullying is not their fault.
Encourage your child to make friends with other children. Help your child to form strong friendships with classmates or with children from outside of school. Encourage your child to invite his friends over to your home. Children are more likely to get picked on if they are loners.
Support activities that interest your child. Your child can develop new abilities and social skills by being a part of group activities, such as team sports, music groups or social clubs. When children feel confident about how they relate to others, they are less likely to be bullied.
What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?
The message that bullying between siblings can be a problem needs to widely shared. You can expect pediatricians to ask about how well your child relates to his or her siblings. Doctors can provide guidance on the best ways to help resolve conflicts between your children.
Of course, always be alert for peer aggression, too. Take steps to help your child if you believe he or she is being bullied at school.
Research will continue to study the effects of bullying between siblings. Future studies may look at whether the impact of bullying is different for boys vs. girls or for older siblings vs. younger siblings.
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