A violência como tática de resolução de conflitos entre irmãos

Abstract

Sibling violence is considered to be the most prevalent form of family violence although it is generally viewed as inoffensive. In a sample of 463 Portuguese adolescents with siblings, the aim was: a) to estimate the frequency of violent behavior between siblings; b) to verify to what extent different tactics are used for the resolution of sibling conflict; c) to analyze whether these tactics vary with age, sex, or type of sibling relationship. The instruments used were a Socio‑Biographical Questionnaire (SBQ) and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales – Sibling Version (CTS2‑SP). The results indicated that the siblings are more likely to use negotiation to resolve conflict; however, psychological violence was also found to present high percentages, with older adolescents, females, and opposite‑sex sibling pairings using more violence. It was concluded that sibling violence showed high prevalence, making it important that parents and professionals become aware of this reality.

Keywords

• adolescents
• conflicts resolution
• family violence
• Portugal
• sibling relationships