Study Finds Siblings of Child Abuse Victims Far More Likely to Be Abused

The younger siblings of children who have experienced child abuse are far more likely to be abused, according to a Pediatrics study. The article, “Risk Factors for Maltreatment in Siblings of Abused Children,” in the May 2021 issue of Pediatrics (published online April 5) found that nearly 75% of the younger siblings had reports of child abuse, rising to 85% in cases of child neglect. Researchers followed 520 sibling pairs enrolled in a study in Brisbane, Australia, in the early 1980s. They tracked reports of abuse to the state child protection agency up till the age of 16 years old, including sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. Participants were also asked at 21 years old if they had ever experienced sexual abuse. The authors found that reports of abuse of the older sibling was associated with a 60-fold increase in the likelihood of reported child abuse in the sibling. Neglect showed the strongest association among the siblings, followed by sexual abuse. Maternal age of less than 20 years and the presence of depression and poverty increased the risk of reported child abuse. At 21-year follow-up, 58% of second siblings reported sexual abuse when the first disclosed similar experiences.

###

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.