Sibling victimization patterns predict peer victimization in childhood and adolescence

• In Event: 1-071 - Sibling Bullying: Precursors and Consequences

Integrative Statement

Victimization by a sibling is more common than by a peer (Finkelhor, Turner, Shattuck, & Hamby, 2015). And yet, peer victimization is widely recognized as a public health concern for children, but sibling victimization is not (Caspi, 2012). Aggressive acts between siblings, including physical assault and damage of personal items are viewed typically by parents as normal behavior that is of little concern, and, perhaps, beneficial to children’s emotional and social development (Tucker & Kazura, 2013).

Reflecting Social Learning theory tenets, sibling relationship dynamics likely set the stage for peer experiences, another developmentally important relational context. Cross-sectional research shows that victimization by a sibling may be a risk factor for peer victimization (Tucker, Finkelhor, Turner, & Shattuck, 2014). Currently, research on sibling victimization is cross-sectional, limited to small samples, and focused on a single developmental period. Using a nationally representative sample of U.S. children and adolescents ages three to seventeen (N = 1,653) with a sibling living in the household, we document four patterns of sibling victimization (Persist, New, Desist, and None) across two time points. We examine how these patterns are associated with peer victimization at time two and whether these linkages are apparent in preschool, middle childhood and adolescence.

Parents of children (aged 3-9) and children aged 10-17 years old participated in two waves of telephone interviews, two years apart. Children averaged 9.74 years of age (SD = 4.18; 51% male; 59% White, non-Hispanic; 65 % from two-parent households). At each wave, separate scores were created for sibling and peer victimization by assigning a score of 1 if children experienced one or more types of victimization by either a sibling or peer in the past year and a score of 0 if they had not (Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire; Finkelhor, Ormrod, Turner, & Hamby, 2011).

Children who experienced any sibling victimization at time 1, but none at time 2 were categorized as Desist (n = 330, 20%). Children were categorized as New (n = 185, 11%) if they were victimized at time 2 but not time 1. The Persist group (n = 332, 20%) were children victimized by a sibling at both waves, and the last category, None (n = 806, 49%), was comprised of children who did not experience any sibling victimization (see Figure 1). The Persist, New and Desist patterns were associated with a greater likelihood of peer victimization at time two. As we expected, those with a longer history of sibling victimization (i.e., Persist group) had greater odds of being victimized than those in the other pattern groups. Sibling victimization patterns were unrelated to peer victimization in preschool but predictive of peer victimization for children in middle childhood and adolescence.

This is the first study to describe children’s and adolescents’ patterns of sibling victimization using longitudinal data and their links to peer victimization. Sibling victimization leaves children and adolescents vulnerable to peer victimization, and children and adolescents chronically victimized (Persist group) were particularly vulnerable to peer victimization. Eliminating sibling victimization could reduce peer victimization.

Authors

• Corinna Tucker, UNH
  Presenting Author

• David Finkelhor, University of New Hampshire
  Non-Presenting Author

• Heather Turner, University of New Hampshire
  Non-Presenting Author