"I heartily recommend Sibling Development."--CFLE Network Newsletter (National Council on Family Relations) Sibling relationships have a major influence on a person's development and behavior, yet, until now the topic has been seriously underrepresented in the professional literature. Sibling Development: Implications for Mental Health Practitioners addresses this gap by examining the range of developmental, clinical, and cultural issues related to sibling relationships. It highlights positive sibling relationships as a source of strength and resilience; at the other end of the spectrum, it addresses sibling abuse, a dangerous and underdiagnosed condition. It demonstrates the crucial support that siblings can provide each other in families experiencing mental illness, substance abuse, divorce, and other stressors. It also considers issues of cultural and ethnic diversity, gender, disability, and sexual orientation as they relate to siblings and their families. Each chapter provides case studies to illustrate how theory and empirical findings can be incorporated into culturally informed treatment, and offers implications for practice and future research. It is an essential resource for all practitioners, researchers, students, and educators who work with or study siblings. Key Features: Examines the role of siblings as cultural educators and socializing agents Offers empirically derived treatment approaches for siblings and families Discusses lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender siblings Includes case studies to demonstrate how to integrate theory and empirical findings into practice Looks at sibling dynamics in families with mental illness, substance abuse, and divorce, as well as siblings of individuals with disabilities Discusses sibling relationships in transracial adoptive families

First published in 1982. Since the emergence of developmental psychology early this century, theorists and researchers have emphasized the family’s role in shaping the child’s emergent social style, personality, and cognitive competence. In so doing, however, psychologists have implicitly adopted a fairly idiosyncratic definition of the family— one that focuses almost exclusively on parents and mostly on mothers. The realization that most families contain two parents and at least two children has occurred slowly, and has brought with it recognition that children develop in the context of a diverse network of social relationships within which each person may affect every other both directly (through their interactions) and indirectly (i.e., through A ’s effect on B, who in turn influences C). The family is such a social network, itself embedded in a broader network of relations with neighbors, relatives, and social institutions. Within the family, relationships among siblings have received little attention until fairly recently. In this volume, the goal is to review the existing empirical and theoretical literature concerning the nature and importance of sibling relationships.

In the last decade, the significance of siblings in children's development and adjustment has been widely recognized, and research on brothers and sisters has increased dramatically. Bringing together exciting research on siblings by leading developmental psychologists and clinicians, this volume's contributions were originally presented at the First International Symposium on Siblings held in Leiden. This book focuses on both the significance of siblings as influences on individual development, and on the importance of the relationship in families with sick, disabled or troubled children. It covers the recent developmental research with chapters on the development of sibling relationships in early and middle childhood, the links between sibling relationships and those with parents, peers and friends, and the influence of siblings on children's adjustment. It then focuses on clinical issues such as siblings as sources of support for unhappy or sick children, or for children in disharmonious homes, and the vulnerability of siblings of disabled children. These clinical issues are discussed in practical terms by leading practitioners. Clear in presentation, comprehensive in its coverage of the exciting recent research, and full of practical insights, this volume brings to light important developmental principles, and raises questions regarding the assumptions about family processes and how different relationships within the family affect one another. For family researchers, those interested in the individual development of children, and for clinicians concerned about the impact of troubled or disabled children on their siblings or the potential of siblings as therapists, this book will be the key. No other book covers the recent research in this important topic and discusses the clinical issues in depth and in practical terms.

This book describes an integrative, strengths-based approach to individual and family psychotherapy guided by the effects of abuse trauma on the development of sibling relationships. It fills a void in the training and education of family violence professionals and validates sibling experiences as an important part of human development. The second edition has been revised and updated to reflect more than 15 years of advances in the child maltreatment field. Current essential information on sibling development is provided to clarify the context in which sibling relationships unfold, and research on sibling relationships throughout the life course is incorporated into a clinical approach for treating victims and survivors. This second edition, much like the first, focuses primarily on assessment and treatment. Rather than choosing to concentrate solely on sibling sexual abuse or assault, the book applies a more inclusive, integrative approach to the study of sibling abuse trauma. The clinical material and experiences portrayed take a trauma-informed systemic orientation and represent children, families, and adults who may not have been described adequately elsewhere. Concrete illustrations and extended session transcripts demonstrate therapeutic principles in action. Whether you incorporate these findings into your clinical practice or become inspired to conduct your own research, Sibling Abuse Trauma will improve your understanding of how to treat and evaluate individuals and families with sibling abuse-related concerns.

"[This] book elucidates the often-forgotten sibling subsystem and its importance for illuminating family dynamics; it is unique in its specific approach to violence and aggression."--PsycCRITIQUES Most people see aggression between siblings as an unavoidable, normal and ultimately harmless aspect of child development, yet it can often cause social adjustment and behavioral problems, some of which may be severe and even precursors to other forms of violence. This volume addresses a significant void in family studies and child development literature by providing an empirically based guide to the causes, assessment and treatment of sibling aggression. Caspi considers both extreme (severe physical and sexual abuse) and lesser (competition and antagonism) forms of aggression and provides a step-by-step treatment program for five family dynamics that commonly exacerbate sibling aggression. Treatment is based on task-centered and family systems models and bolstered by case studies. Key Features: Fills the void in the "emerging frontier" of sibling violence Addresses both severe and lesser forms of aggression Includes step-by-step assessment and treatment procedures Offers case studies Examines cross-cultural factors in sibling violence as well as abuse of disabled siblings

How do brothers and sisters shape one another? Siblings in Adolescence provides a comprehensive overview of the most up-to-date, international empirical research on the sibling bond during the critical adolescent years. The authors examine how the relationship impacts on adolescent development, as well as the effect on and within the family, using evidence from behaviour genetics, cross-cultural studies, and research utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods. The book presents a multi-faceted dynamic view of the adolescent sibling relationship, drawing on perspectives from sociological, psychological, and ecological and systems science. It introduces a novel theoretical perspective which covers sibling dynamics across various key environments such as their families, communities, and cultures. Parents and siblings will also find useful coverage of the following issues: school and life transitions parental separation health, illness, and disability diverse family experiences. Siblings in Adolescence will be indispensable for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students studying human development, and will supplement postgraduate courses for teachers, counsellors, and social, youth, and health workers. It will also be required reading for all those who work and do research with families and young people.

The impact of sibling relationships on how people develop has been dramatically under-emphasised in the literature on child development. Drawing together new and established research, this accessible text shows that these relationships are crucial to professionals' under-standing of the children and the families they work with. Sibling Relationships offers a theoretically grounded and culturally sensitive account of the many complexities of sibling relationships, emphasising the significance of these for practice and the ways in which the effectiveness of work with children and families can be enhanced by promoting positive connections between brothers and sisters. It examines a range of adverse circumstances for children and families - substance abuse, domestic violence, loss, disability and mental illness - considering how sibling relationships are affected by these circumstances, and how relationships with siblings might help to promote resilience in children. Practice notes provide examples of how sibling relationships can become an important focus in the work of professionals. This is the first book to link knowledge of sibling relationships to the practice of working with families. It will be important reading for anyone interested in children and families, including students and professionals in the areas of social work, counselling, applied social studies and childhood studies.

This important book gives a voice to the lived experience of siblings and family members when one sibling has an acquired brain injury (ABI). ABI is associated with a range of physical, cognitive, behavioural and personality changes, many of which will be lifelong. Penelope Analytis examines how this condition affects the sibling relationship. Although siblings play an important role in our sense of identity, development and wellbeing, this relationship has been largely overlooked in the context of rehabilitation. Combining research with stories of siblings’ experiences of life after ABI, this book explores how siblings seek to continue their relationship across the lifespan and make sense of the impact of ABI. It looks at the concept of "post-traumatic growth" within the context of ABI and explores siblings’ perceptions of growth after ABI, including shaping their life priorities, family relationships and values. It includes the perspectives of siblings themselves who have an ABI, recognising them as active members of this unique relationship, and of siblings of people with an ABI. This is valuable reading for siblings and families impacted by ABI and professionals working with them who would like to better understand how to support siblings, as well as students in neuropsychology and related fields.

Focusing on practical concerns and on current research, this new volume examines common sibling problems. The research findings, some published for the first time in this book, reveal the diverse ways that the sibling relationship contributes to the harmony or disharmony of the family and to the pattern of individual children's development within the family. This comprehensive volume will prove valuable to a broad range of professionals working with children and families, as well as to parents. The contributors attempt to bridge the gap between research and the practices of parents, therapists and educators. Common problems are examined, such as favoritism and the effects of a new sister or brother on a sibling. The concerns of children in special sibling relations, children in one-parent families, siblings of the mentally ill and disabled, and children facing the imminent death of a sibling, are also explored.

The most long-lasting and enduring relationship an individual can develop is with a sibling. Considering the closeness in age and early association of siblings, they can bond for a lifetime. Psychologists are beginning to appreciate the sibling link and its dynamic role in a child's social development. Beyond the mother-child dyad, sibling associations are now attributed with determining cognitive faculties, emotional balance, self-sufficiency, and peer interactions. Clarifying the complex processes of these relationships and the benefit of parental involvement, Avidan Milevsky provides a foundational text for a growing area of study. Deploying personal narrative, theoretical examinations, and empirical data, he unravels the intricacies of the sibling exchange and their function in overall family structures. He identifies the factors that make such bonds successful (or harmful) and the influence of parents in shaping these outcomes. He also evaluates the compensatory possibilities of the sibling bond when faced with the absence of a parent or friend. Variables such as age, birth order, gender, and family size are tremendous considerations, and parents hoping to enhance the sibling bond gain immensely from understanding these predictors. Milevsky shows practitioners how to educate parents and help them apply their knowledge in practice. He particularly supplies crucial perspective on "deidentification," or conscious differentiation, in which parents encourage different life paths to minimize sibling comparison and competition. A major tool for clinicians, social service providers, and educators, this book clarifies the next frontier in child development research.