Shining a Light

on Sibling Abuse

Kids will be kids.
What brothers and sisters don’t fight?!
Ignore them. They’ll figure it out on their own.
It’s just normal sibling rivalry.

Sound familiar?

We’ve all heard these words when we see sisters and brothers ‘fighting’. But what’s really going on may be more than just sibling rivalry …

It may be sibling abuse.

Welcome to SiblingAbuse.ca
where we have two main goals:

First, we are on a mission to eradicate violence and abuse between siblings. To do that, we need to name it, understand what it is and is not, recognize the impact of sibling abuse, and learn what we can do, collectively, to end this form of abuse.

Second, we wish to create a community of change and healing. It is a place for starting conversations; for sharing our stories about how victims become survivors; how parents are struggling – and supporting – their children; how perpetrators can heal; the important roles that ‘helpers’ play – teachers, therapists, counsellors, medical and mental health professionals. This isn’t a place to rant, vent, blame or put anyone down; it is a community hub for the healing and creativity that may come alive as we embark on this project.

What’s the Challenge?

  • Naming what society has historically NOT named 
  • Challenging what we have come to accept as ‘normal behaviour’ in families 
  • Changing accepted cultural norms
 

None of that is simple! 

BUT here are some starting points …

  • Raising awareness – naming it, understanding what it is, talking about it
  • Providing a platform for information, questions and learning
  • Creating space for stories and conversations with people who have lived experience of sibling abuse 


That’s what we are doing at SiblingAbuse.ca.

Thank you for visiting SiblingAbuse.ca, where we share information, resources and stories about sibling abuse.

Some of the content on this website may be triggering. Please take care of yourself and exit if needed.

Please note that this is not a crisis information service, and that we are unable to provide crisis support.

If you need someone to talk to, please review our resources page for more information.