Study: Sibling Bullying Causes Damage, Too

Bullying by a brother or sister can cause as much psychological damage as bullying by peers, a new study suggests. The study was based on the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence. About 3,600 children took part in the study. Children ages 10 and older were interviewed themselves. Parents answered questions for younger children. Questions addressed 4 types of aggression. Physical attacks were divided into 2 types: those that used a weapon or caused injury and those that did neither. Researchers also asked about property theft and psychological attacks such as saying mean things. People were asked if any of these things had occurred in the last year and if the attack came from a peer or a sibling. Children also were asked standard questions to measure their levels of anxiety, depression and other types of psychological distress.