Corresponding Blog

For more information about sibling sexual abuse please see the corresponding blog at:  http://paulabrave.wordpress.com/

 

Other websites with useful information included the following:

Websites Devoted to Sibling Sexual Abuse

Survivor of Sibling Sexual Abuse

 http://www.sossainfo.org

 

Sasian – Sibling Abuse Survivors’ Information & Advocacy Network.

http://www.sasian.org

Websites with information about Sibling Sexual Abuse

Sibling sexual abuse: Information for adults abused as children

http://www.secasa.com.au/index.php/survivors/5/285

www.gvcasa.com.au/documents/sibling_sexual_abuse.pdf

 

Sibling Sexual Abuse – PsychPage

www.psychpage.com/family/library/sib_abuse2.htm

 

Peterson, Andrea L.T.  Sibling Sexual Abuse: An Emerging Awareness of an Ignored Childhood Trauma – HAVCA, Help for Adult Victims Of Child Abuse.

www.havoca.org/Articles/art%20Sibling%20Sexual%20Abuse.htm

 

Daly L.W. – Sibling Sexual Abuse – 4 part series

http://www.steppingstones.ws/education/articles/sibling-sexual-abuse/

 

Pandora’s Project – Sibling Sexual Abuse and Incest during Childhood

 http://www.pandys.org/articles/siblingsexualabuse.html

 

Sibling Sexual Abuse; A Family Intervention for Treatment http://onlinecouch.wordpress.com/2005/04/01/sibling-sexual-abuse-a-family-intervention-for-treatment/

 

Ward, M.J. (July 20th, 2011) Sibling Sexual Abuse.  Our Dynamic Families – Musings on family life.

http://margaretward.org/content/?p=104 

Presentations Online about Sibling Sexual Abuse

Susan Heyman & Dale Tolliday.  (2011)  Responses to sexual assault including sibling sexual assault.  NSW Child Protection and Wellbeing Interagency Conference, 29 – 30 November 2011, Crystal Palace (Luna Park, Milsons Point, Sydney, AU).

http://www.keepthemsafe.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/136686/Response_to_sexual_assault_including_sibling_sexual_assault.pdf

 

Forums for Adult Survivors of Sibling Sexual Abuse

Pandora’s Aquarium > The Aftermath > types of sexual assault discussions> Sibling abuse/incest

http://pandys.org/forums/

Videos about Sibling Sexual Abuse

Survivor of Sibling Sexual Abuse – Videos

http://www.sossainfo.org/video

https://vimeo.com/sossa

 

Sibling Abuse PSA for Communication in Abusive Relationships 392.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJtzSHviaXE

http://www.a-better-child.org/page/1158835

 

Fox-Kilgore, Nancy.  (May 19, 2011) Girl In The Water: Bullying Starts At Home. The research link between bullying and sibling abuse can’t be overlooked. CreateSpace.  460 pages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIBZa90clhk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh2ZuJPS40U

 

Shaw, R (2001) – Coffee House TV.  Publisher of “Not Child’s Play” discusses this anthology of true stories, poetry, art and fiction about sibling incest.

http://archive.org/details/coffeehouse_132_Risa_Shaw

 

Vernon R. Wiehe, Ph.D. was interviewed at his home in Lexington, Kentucky, on October 18, 2011  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08IADJsMq94

Typical Characteristics of Sibling Sexual Abuse

Below is based on current sibling sexual abuse research. No survivor or family necessarily fits each and every category but you may find some resemblance.

Violation of trust

·         Trust is essential in families, but a sibling who has been given a lot of responsibility and power may abuse that trust. Sibling sexual abuse often takes place when parents fail to pay attention to the trust that they have placed in one of their children.  ~ Vernon Wiehe

·         Both the victim and non-offending parents feel a violation of trust.

·         Trust is won by the abuser, and then violated in order to commit the abuse.

·         There is a misuse of power and authority by the abusing sibling.

·         The abuse is often Non-Consensual.

Serious nature

·         Family and Society tend to ignore or minimize the impact of sibling sexual abuse.

·         Sibling incest is of at least equal seriousness as Father–daughter incest.

·         Sibling sexual abuse usually accompanies emotional and physical abuse.

·         The survivor was more readily available for a longer period of time to the abuser.

·         The abuser often commits more acts of abuse over a longer period of time.

·         Sibling Sexual Abuse is often “Hands-On Abuse”.

·         The abuse often includes the most serious and intrusive acts.

·         The abuser is more likely to have penetrated the victim.

Secrecy

·         Open communication is discouraged in the family.

·         The abuser held the survivor in terror and silence.

·         The abuser is protected by family secrecy.

·         The abuse is more likely to go unreported and ignored.

·         Offenders normally have little to no consequences because they are protected by family secrecy.

Problematic Family

·         Provide poor supervision and little structure.

·         The parents/guardians tend to have had a history of domestic violence.

·         Disclosure of abuse is often denied or greatly minimized.

·         Families may acknowledge the abuse, but blame and/or punish the victim.

·         Families may acknowledge the abuse, but fail to protect the victim and stop the abuse.

·         When abuse is disclosed, parents divide into teams, (victim versus offender) which compete for power, resources, and support.

Negative Consequences

·         The survivor tends to feel unprotected, powerless/helpless, ashamed, rejected, blamed, and betrayed.

·         Consequences of sibling sexual abuse are the same as those seen in other child sexual abuse survivors.  A few examples include: instances of depression, suicidal feelings, substance abuse, eating disorders, compulsive spending, and disruptive and troublesome flashbacks.

·         Family relationships are sometimes disrupted or severed.

When will You Notice Me?

I am the girl next door or a face you have seen somewhere before.
I am the one that you went to school with.

I am the woman that you drive past on the highway.
I am the woman that has kids and works and gets up each morning because "the show must go on".

I am the one that crys alone at night.
I am the one that still does not know who I am.

For the Brother that raped me:
I am the one that you raped and left bleeding alone in the shadows of a moldy basement.
I am the one that you lead to trust only to betray and hurt me.

Someday I will add more to this ...