The research is growing and being shared
In July 2024, I attended the Violence Prevention Research Conference organized by the University of New Hampshire’s Crimes Against Children Research Center. SAARA, Sibling Aggression and Abuse Research and Advocacy Initiative is an organization within that centre whose mission includes raising awareness, educating, providing training, building networks and creating systemic cultural change with respect to sibling aggression and abuse. They hosted three sessions on Sibling Aggression and Abuse. That’s why I went.
Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., CFLE and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D., along with David Finkelhor, PhD. make up the SAARA team; kudos to them for gathering an amazing group of speakers who shared their research and provided the opportunity for discussion in all areas of sibling abuse and aggression, with a focus on prevention, of course, for this annual conference.
I wish I’d taken notes for the purpose of this blog or at least written this right afterwards; I wasn’t quite there yet. But here are a few thoughts, along with information about presenters, and links for more information:
- At the core of sibling abuse and aggression is power and control. I wrote that in big letters on the first page of my notes. Something definitely resonated there!
- The perpetrator/harming sibling is part of a family system, which is multigenerational, complex, and impacted by a society that deems what is or is not acceptable; the researchers and advocates are working to highlight and shift what is or is not acceptable, and are finding the means to do so.
- Raising awareness is a starting point; prevention and education within family and societal structures (schools, parental education, training for professionals etc) are all vital to making the kind of change that is needed to protect children.
- There’s nothing like being in a group of passionate, compassionate, like-minded individuals, who understand on so many levels that which has generally been misunderstood. It’s powerful!
Here is the link for the conference information. Scroll down to the heading “Violence Prevention Research Conference”; click on “Learn More” for the list of presentations.
- Corinna Jenkins Tucker and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, the SAARA team, spoke about parent education as key to addressing sibling aggression and abuse – here is an article they’ve co-written that explores that. They also have a treasure trove of articles in Psychology Today and bulletins from the SAARA site.
- Dr. Jonathan Caspi explored anxiety as a marker of increased sibling aggression. He is a sibling expert, professor, therapist and author of four books including Sibling Aggression: Assessment and Treatment, and his latest, Raising Loving Siblings: How to Stop the Fighting and Help Your Kids Connect. Here’s more, including links to further research.
- Amy Meyers, therapist, professor and podcast host of What Would Dr. Meyers Do? (see more info about Dr. Meyers on Blog 3) explored Sibling Abuse as a Complex Trauma through the lens of Family Systems Therapy, as well as the awareness, prevention, intervention, training, advocacy and partnerships that are necessary to make change.
- Dr.Lauri Kramer & Reshika Sai Devarajan spoke about More Fun with Sisters and Brothers, an online program Dr. Kramer and her students founded to train and foster the skills needed to enhance positive relationships of 4 – 8-yr old siblings.
- Several presenters shared research specifically about sibling sexual abuse including: Dafna Tener who shared her seven insights from seven studies done over seven years; Amitai Marmor a researcher and therapist in Israel, studying in Scotland, whose presented research was mainly derived from connections made via Facebook (where there are private groups for SA survivors, incidentally, a valuable resource); and members of 5Waves, who discussed their work and shared their stories of sibling sexual abuse, both from the point of view of survivor and parent, reminding us that one of the key starting points of this work, is telling stories.
I left feeling hopeful, excited, connected. The research and discussions are happening … and they are fruitful. There are people in academia, in mental health, medical, educational and other organizations, and at their individual keyboards across the globe … digging in, doing research, asking difficult questions, and starting conversations. Just what we need.