'But she didn't say no': an exploration of sibling sexual abuse

Abstract

Sibling sexual abuse often causes polarities of view in professional and client groups alike. These views range from seeing it as benign to damaging. For professionals new to the field this paper gives an overview of the discussion that sibling sexual abuse is as traumatic as parental sexual abuse, and has lasting impact on its victims. Recognising the particular dynamics of sibling sexual abuse and effect on victims raises the challenge of case management in families where it occurs. This paper will explore this challenge within the New South Wales context.

Sibling Incest Dynamics: Therapeutic Themes and Clinical Challenges

“…It is not uncommon for families to blame and punish victims who disclose, adding additional trauma to the victim's experience (McVeigh 2003;Weihe and Herring 1991). Victims who do not immediately identify the experience as abusive, who feel confused about their responsibility for the behaviors, or who recognize the lack of protection in the family, may choose not to risk negative consequences of disclosure and alternatively disclose later as adults (Caffaro and Conn-Caffaro 1998;Cole 1982;Carlson et al 2006).…”

“…Upon disclosure of sibling incest it is critical that all service providers participate in a timely, coordinated response to provide effective intervention to treat victim, offender, and family while balancing criminal justice and victim safety concerns (McVeigh 2003). Clinicians treating victims need to be particularly sensitive to questions of mutuality and related issues of shame and guilt, which if left unattended, can cause ongoing emotional problems through future developmental stages.…”

“…Of cases that are reported and confirmed, only a small proportion are adjudicated (Adler and Schutz 1995;Ryan 2000;Worling 1995), and most are left to the discretion of overburdened child protective services (McVeigh 2003;Pierce and Pierce 1990). Although in many instances sibling incest is never disclosed, such abuse may be uncovered in the context of therapeutic relationships when victims, as adults, seek treatment for issues they may not even associate with the sibling abuse (Caffaro and Conn-Caffaro 1998;Canavan et al 1992;Carlson et al 2006;Laviola 1992;Weihe 1997).…”

“…Sibling incest, once thought to be a benign aspect of developmental play, should never be dismissed as child's play (Cole 1982;McVeigh 2003;O'Brien 1991), and work with adult victims requires special sensitivity to the impact of non-disclosure, unresolved issues of mutuality and accumulated feelings of guilt and shame (Thompson 2009;Tsun 1999). Clinicians must help victims unravel the intricacies of their tangled relationships and the heavy emotional burdens knotted within them.…”

“…Sexual behavior between siblings is estimated to be as much as five times more prevalent than parent-child incest (Cole 1982;Finkelhor 1980;Smith and Israel 1987). Research suggests that sibling incest has serious negative impact on victims (Russell 1986;Weihe 1997), and warrants at least as much attention as other forms of child sexual abuse (Cyr et al 2002;McVeigh 2003;Rudd and Herzberger 1999;Shaw et al 2000). Sibling abuse dynamics are variations of those dynamics typical of adult-child incest relationships and provide many challenges for professionals charged with treating victims, sibling offenders, and their families.…”