Course Description: Sibling violence is the most common form of intimate violence. It is pervasive amongst children caught in Domestic Violence. This type of abuse is an important social problem because of the intense suffering and sometimes destructive long-term effects that result from it. The existence of social norms that encourage expression of aggressive behavior among siblings inhibits the awareness of sibling violence as abnormal and worthy of serious consideration. Many parents do not actively forbid their children from becoming involved in disputes with their siblings. In fact, parents often try to ignore aggressive interactions and become involved if situations escalate into major confrontations. According to Dr. Vernon Wiehe, professor of social work at the University of Kentucky and author of Perilous Rivalry: When Siblings Become Abusive, as many as 53 our of every 100 children abuse their brother or sister. This is a higher percentage of adults who abuse their children or their spouse. Recent statistics on family homicides reveal that 1.5% of all murder victims are killed by siblings. This comprises about 10% of all murders in families (Dawson & Langan, 1994).

Sibling relationships influence human development because of the extraordinary significance of shared history and the eternal issues of identity. Sibling relationships are often complex, turbulent, and resonant as one of the most important and formative human bonds. Abusive acts from a sibling(s) is often perpetrated in covert secrecy. This workshop is proactive in educating about important information and solutions pertaining to Sibling Abuse.