Geschwister im Kontext von Misshandlung, Missbrauch und Vernachlässigung

In recent years, more research has been done to investigate the causes and consequences of maltreatment, abuse and neglect. One topic that has received little attention is that of siblings in families where there is a risk to the welfare of the child. The author addresses this research gap in her dissertation and examines which factors contribute to the endangerment of several children and what effects these have on the sibling relationship and psychological stress. Sibling relationships are one of the closest emotional relationships in people's lives. Siblings share similar, but not identical, experiences in their family of origin. Yet there has been little research on similarities and differences between siblings in terms of experiences of maltreatment, abuse and neglect during childhood. Based on a survey of 4568 adults and 870 sibling pairs on their childhood experiences, the author identifies factors that make the experience of maltreatment, abuse and neglect more likely. Furthermore, implications for practice are presented, such as the clarification of a possible endangerment of all children of a family and the consideration of sibling dynamics in the context of help planning and therapy.