Sibling Abuse Explained | The Family System That Protects It
For many families, what is dismissed as “sibling rivalry” is actually a pattern of chronic emotional, psychological, or physical abuse.
So how do you tell the difference?
In this masterclass, we explore the psychology of sibling abuse through the lens of Family Systems Theory, Attachment Theory, developmental psychology, and personality pathology.
We’ll examine why some emotionally immature parents unintentionally reinforce unhealthy sibling dynamics and how family systems can normalize behavior that should have been addressed years earlier.
Topics include:
✔ Sibling abuse vs. normal sibling rivalry
✔ Emotionally immature parenting
✔ Family favoritism
✔ The Golden Child and Scapegoat dynamic
✔ Bowen Family Systems Theory
✔ Coercive Family Process (Gerald Patterson)
✔ Parentification
✔ Narcissistic family systems
✔ Emotional manipulation
✔ Family homeostasis
✔ Why healthy siblings often leave the family
✔ Healing from toxic sibling relationships
You’ll also learn important psychological concepts such as:
- Parental Differential Treatment
- Emotional Rank Reversal
- Coercive Family Process
- Nonshared Environment
- Sibling Deidentification
- Family Projection Process
- Narrative Control
- Triangulation
If you’ve ever questioned whether your experiences were “normal sibling rivalry” or something much more harmful, this video will help you understand the psychological and family systems dynamics that often go unnoticed.
“Repeated physical, emotional, or sexual aggression between siblings in which there is an imbalance of power and the behavior causes harm, fear, intimidation, or psychological distress.”
This definition reflects the consensus across the sibling abuse literature that distinguishes abuse from normal conflict by emphasizing: repetition, power imbalance, harm, and fear or coercion.
