Sibling bullying linked to later (young adult) depression, self-harm [View all]
While to topic of corporal punishment, belittling, and hostile home environments is on people's minds... here is some grist for the mill.
Where do you suppose siblings learn to be such bullies?
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L. Bowes, D. Wolke, C. Joinson, S. T. Lereya, G. Lewis. Sibling Bullying and Risk of Depression, Anxiety, and Self-Harm: A Prospective Cohort Study. PEDIATRICS, 2014; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-0832
Summary:
A new study has found that children who revealed they had been bullied by their brothers or sisters several times a week or more during early adolescence were twice as likely to report being clinically depressed as young adults.
A new study has found that children who revealed they had been bullied by their brothers or sisters several times a week or more during early adolescence were twice as likely to report being clinically depressed as young adults.
They were also twice as likely to say they had self-harmed within the previous year compared with those who had not been bullied.
The findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, are the results of the first longitudinal study to investigate possible links between sibling bullying and clinical depression and self-harm in young adults.
The research, conducted by the Universities of Oxford, Warwick, Bristol and UCL, suggests interventions are needed to specifically target a form of bullying which it says, to date, has been largely ignored by academics, policy makers and clinicians.
Lead author Dr Lucy Bowes, from the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford, said: 'Forms of bullying where victims are shoved around the playground or targeted at work have been well documented, however, this study uncovers a largely hidden form of bullying. Victims of sibling bullying are offered little escape as sibling relationships endure throughout development.
'We are not talking about the sort of teasing that often goes on within families, but incidents that occur several times a week, in which victims are ignored by their brothers or sisters, or are subjected to verbal or physical violence.'
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140919100258.htm