Parent- and sibling-directed aggression in children of domestic violence victims

Michelle P. Desir, Canan Karatekin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examines the nature of parent- and sibling-directed aggression and involvement in other victimization among children living with female caregivers in a domestic violence shelter. Caregivers were interviewed about their children's (N = 79; Mage = 9.0 years) parent- and sibling-directed aggression. Physical and verbal aggression and emotional blackmail were the most common forms of aggression against caregivers. Physical and verbal aggression were most common against siblings. No age or gender differences in aggression characteristics were found. A large minority of children displayed both parentand sibling-directed aggression. Children exhibiting parent- or sibling-directed aggression were significantly more likely to be victimized. Findings highlight the importance of incorporating parent- and sibling-directed aggression into definitions of family violence and recognizing children can be victims and victimizers.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)886-901
Number of pages16
JournalViolence and Victims
Volume33
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Springer Publishing Company.

Keywords

  • Family violence
  • Intimate partner violence
  • Parent abuse
  • Sibling aggression
  • Victimization

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Parent- and sibling-directed aggression in children of domestic violence victims'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this