Sibling Violence & Sexual Abuse
When: Thursday, July 27 - 1:00 PM
Duration: 1 hours 30 minutes
Location: Zoom
Event Details:
Sibling violence and sexual abuse is an under-discussed issue in the field of social services. Despite being more common than abuse by a caregiver or other adult, and equally damaging in its effects on children and youth, violence by siblings is less frequently reported to legal or child welfare authorities and does not generally command the same response as other forms of child maltreatment.
Sibling violence and sexual abuse is often overlooked or written off as “sibling rivalry” by both caregivers and practitioners. And yet failure to identify and address the issue can lead to long term detrimental effects for all members of a family system. It is essential that service providers develop greater awareness and understanding of the nature of sibling violence and sexual abuse, its impact on children, youth, and families, and the development of methods of prevention and intervention.
Participants in this training will learn:
- How to identify and assess for sibling violence, and how to distinguish abuse from sibling rivalry.
- The impact of family size, culture, ethnicity and gender composition on sibling violence and sexual abuse in families.
- Risk and protective factors for families where sibling violence or sexual abuse occurs.
- Trauma-informed intervention strategies for addressing sibling violence and sexual abuse.
About the Presenter:
John Caffaro, Ph.D. serves as Distinguished Professor at the California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles, at Alliant International University and Clinical Assistant Professor at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. He is an internationally recognized expert on sibling violence and sexual abuse and has trained mental health professionals nationally and internationally for more than 25 years. His most recent book, Sibling Abuse Trauma, 2nd Edition, NY: Routledge was published in 2014. Dr. Caffaro is an elected Fellow in APA Divisions (56) Trauma, (43) Family Psychology, and (37) Child Maltreatment. He was recently honored to receive the APA Award for Distinguished Contribution to Family Psychology.
