The effect of childhood sibling aggression on adult emotional difficulties and aggressive behavior

Abstract

Sibling aggression has been identified as the most common form of family violence and has been linked to emotional problems, delinquency, aggression, and substance use in children. Furthermore, preliminary evidence indicates that childhood sibling aggression might be associated with violent behavior and emotional difficulties in adulthood. Utilizing a sample of 322 participants collected through an online survey and recruited from undergraduate courses, social networking, and online research lists, the present study examined the relationship between childhood sibling aggression and later adult emotional difficulties and aggressive behavior while controlling for any effects of exposure to other family violence. In addition, possible moderating roles of sibling aggression reciprocity, general quality of the sibling relationship, and gender were examined. Findings indicated that retrospective self-reports of childhood sibling aggression were significantly associated with adult emotional difficulties and aggressive behavior independently and after controlling for exposure to other family violence. Perpetration and victimization of sibling aggression were highly correlated, negating the possibility of examining separate effects or the moderating effects of sibling aggression reciprocity. Neither overall quality of the childhood sibling relationship nor participant gender related to adult behaviors or moderated the relationship between sibling aggression and emotional difficulties or aggressive behavior.