It has been found that sibling bullying is bad for the mental health of the bullied sibling. Science Daily reported on Sept. that sibling bullying is associated with later depression and self-harm in the victimized sibling. It is therefore logical to assume that teaching siblings to be nice to each other instead of bullies should promote mental health naturally.
Sibling bullying has been found to be associated with later mental health disorders reports the University of Oxford. It has been found in a new study that kids who revealed that they had been bullied by their brothers or sisters on several occasions weekly or more during their early adolescence were about two times more likely to report being clinically depressed as young adults. Bullied siblings were also twice as likely to report they had self-harmed during the previous year in comparison with those who had not been bullied.
Lead author of this study Dr Lucy Bowes, from the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford, says this studied has uncovered a significantly hidden type of bullying. There is little escape possible for victims of sibling bullying as relationships between siblings continue throughout development. In this type of bullying victims are often ignored by their brothers or sisters or may even be subjected to verbal or physical violence.
Co-author Professor Dieter Wolke, who is associated with the Department of Psychology and Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing at the University of Warwick, points out that social learning and how to behave with peers begins at home. When siblings are bullied the consequences can be serious. It is therefore vitally important that parents set clear rules dealing with what is allowed in conflicts. Furthermore, parents should intervene when their kids abuse each other repeatedly. It is clearly likely that interventions aimed at decreasing sibling bullying would improve the mental health.
This study has been published in the journal Pediatrics. It has been recognized that being the victim of peer bullying is associated with an increased risk of developing psychopathology. However, it has not been clear whether similar experiences of bullying increase the risk of psychiatric disorder when the perpetrator of the bullying is a sibling. It was concluded in this study that being bullied by a sibling is potentially a risk factor for depression and self-harm during early adulthood. It is clearly significant that interventions which are designed to target sibling bullying may very well help to promote mental health in siblings.
