An understudied form of intra-family violence: Sibling-to-sibling aggression among foster children

Foster children are at high risk for perpetrating and for being victims of sibling aggression and violence. This article proposes an integrative, multidimensional model for studying risk and protective factors of sibling violence. In the model, exposure to sibling violence (perpetration and victimization), child mental disorder, and placement characteristics are risk factors for impaired psychological functioning (internalizing and externalizing symptoms) and for disruptions in school competence (scholastic and social competence with classmates). Sibling positivity, quality of the foster care giving, and foster rejecting care giving are proposed as moderating processes in the linkage between exposure to sibling violence and impaired psychological functioning. Preliminary data are presented in support of the proposed model.