I was recently watching an episode of a cartoon in
which a sister sends her younger brother forward in time “forever” so that she
could continue her life in peace and quiet.
This show reminded me of the occasional
combativeness I expressed with my younger brother. Who hasn’t wanted to send a
sibling forward in time for some uninterrupted relaxation in the present? After
hearing about a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics that explored the effects of sibling aggression on
mental distress in children and adolescents, I became nervous that my wish for
kin time travel might have somehow had a devastating effect on my brother’s mental
health.
Although it is common for siblings to fight, there
is an increasing interest in the more destructive behaviors. The study was
conducted by the University of New Hampshire and focused on thousands of phone interviews
with children aged 0-9, and 10-17. It found that “the
possible importance of sibling aggression for children’s and adolescents’
mental health should not be dismissed.” Mild physical harm, meanness and
psychological harm all had effects such as anxiety, depression or anger.
This is something that is avoidable; parents can
teach conflict management to children to avoid mental distress from sibling
aggression. Besides teaching safety, offering support and cooperation, siblings
can learn to be accountable for their actions, and with all of these factors,
respect will be earned. This can minimize sibling aggression, both
psychological and physical.
As for my brother, I’ll let him decide if sibling aggression
caused any long lasting psychological damage.
The VISTA
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