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Sibling abuse;
battlefield in the home
By Melissa Martin
Story. The first murder in the Bible is reported in the Book of
Genesis. Cain killed his brother Abel.
Motive: Cain became angry and jealous over his brother’s animal
sacrifice, (Abel’s gift pleased God) so the older brother sought
revenge.
Weapon: Cain used a rock to hit Abel on the head.
Forensic evidence: Blood was found on the rock and in the field.
Witness: God confronted Cain. “Your brother’s blood cries out to me
from the ground.” Cain lied, “I don’t know what happened.”
Homicide charge. First degree, second degree, or voluntary
manslaughter. Was the killing premeditated or impulsive?
Today, Eve or Adam would dial 911 and handcuffed Cain would be
arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced.
Also in Genesis, Joseph’s jealous older brothers threw him into a pit
in the wilderness to die. They lied to their father about what happened
to Joseph.
Again, the Book of Genesis speaks of jealousy and conflict between
brothers, Jacob and Esau. The older twin brother Esau gave up his
birthright to Jacob. Esau vowed to kill his brother, but Jacob fled.
Many years later the brothers reconciled.
The killing of a brother or sister is known as “fratricide.” And the
word “siblicide” is also used to refer to sibling homicide. In an
article in the 2002 journal, Violence Victims, Erika Gebo analyzed
4,668 cases of fratricide in the U.S. between 1976 and 1994. Results
found 73 percent of cases involved brothers. Among adult brothers, the
younger usually kills the older. Among juvenile brothers, the older
usually kills the younger. Alcohol and drug use were identified as
contributing factors. Gebo results concluded the majority of killings
were impulsive and not premeditated.
Dallas, an evening television soap opera, aired from 1978 to 1991. And
who could forget the unscrupulous older brother, J.R. Ewing (actor
Larry Hagman), who dominated younger brother, Bobbie (actor Patrick
Duffy), and the entire feuding family? J.R. was shot, survived, and
later revealed the shooter as his sister-in-law/mistress. My guess for
the shooter’s identity was Bobbie, his brother.
In 1980, the results of a research survey of families shocked
Americans. According to Murray Straus, Ph.D., author ofBehind Closed
Doors: Violence in the American Family, 74 percent of siblings push or
shove brothers and sisters; 42 percent kick, punch and bite; and 85
percent engage in verbal aggression. This survey was repeated ten years
later with overwhelming results as well.
“Those siblings who are most violent to each other live in homes in
which parents are abusive to each other and in which the children are
disciplined by spanking and corporal punishment. Also children learn
violence from watching TV and videos and from playing violent
videogames,” revealed the National Family Violence Surveys.
According to a News 5 Cleveland report, the police chief from
Streetsboro, Ohio, alleged an 11-year-old boy was shot by his
13-year-old brother in what "appears to be a premeditated act,” in 2018.
In Stark County, Ohio, the sheriff alleged 25 year-old Jacob Stockdale
shot and killed his 21 year-old brother and mother, as reported by
CantonRep.com in 2017.
Nicholas Starling, 17, was 16 when he killed his 14-year-old brother,
Harley Starling, in October 2016, according to theDayton Daily News.
Rejection, revenge, retaliation. Jealousy, rage, greed. Betrayal,
vigilante justice, humiliation. Power, control, entitlement. Mental
illness, impulsivity, psychosis. Rivalry, competition, disagreement.
What fuels sibling abuse and aggression? What fuels family violence?
What fuels fratricide?
Society needs to acknowledge sibling violence as a social problem, just
like child, partner, and elderly abuse. Although progress has been made
in recognizing, treating, and preventing family violence, there is more
work to be done.
Melissa Martin, Ph.D, is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist.
She resides in Southern Ohio. www.melissamartinchildrensauthor.com.
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