Sibling Aggression and Abuse Research and Advocacy Initiative (SAARA)

Sibling aggression is the most common form of family violence, yet it remains hidden and confused with sibling rivalry. Numerous studies have linked sibling aggression and abuse to worse mental and physical health and problematic interpersonal relationships with parents, peers, and romantic partners.

The Sibling Aggression and Abuse Research and Advocacy Initiative promotes awareness of sibling aggression and abuse and provides guidance on how to prevent and reduce their occurrences. This initiative grows out of calls for increased awareness of sibling victimization given its pervasiveness and harmfulness.

Helping practitioners respond to sibling sexual behavior: Addressing the lack of training and clinical resources for these complex cases

Sibling sexual behavior requires a whole-family, child-centered, comprehensive response. In this post on Psychology Today, SAARA researchers partnered with Dr. Sophie King-Hill to introduce her Sibling Sexual Behavior Mapping Tool for practitioners.  Read More

Why don't children tell when their sibling harms them? Identifying barriers that prevent children from seeking help

Victimization by a sibling is a common experience in childhood but remains hidden. In this post on Psychology Today, SAARA researchers discuss children's barriers to seeking and receiving help.  Read More

An opportunity to address the most common form of family violence: Sibling aggression

Given the prevalence and impacts of sibling aggression, parenting education is needed. Yet evidence-based parent education programs generally do not address it. In this article published in the National Council on Family Relations' Family Focus, SAARA researchers propose how such information could be infused into parent education programming.  Read More