Families Commission

Relationship Services offers personal services and counselling
Barnardos provides family counselling
Youthline has support for young people facing crises (phone 0800 376 633)
Kidsline provides information and telephone counselling for 9 - 13 year olds
Whatsup is a counselling phone line (0800 WHATSUP – 0800 942 8787) for 5 –18 year olds, available midday to midnight, seven days a week, with trained counsellors taking the calls.
The New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse lists New Zealand research on sibling violence
University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) is a US site with information on sibling abuse

What's normal behaviour and what's violence?

All brothers and sisters periodically squabble and name-call. "Playing doctor" is also not unusual. Sibling violence is different, because one child is always the victim and the other is always the aggressor.

Warning signs:

Onechild avoids the other.

You see changes in behaviour, sleep patterns or eating habits; or a child has nightmares.

A child acts out abuse in play.

A child shows inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Good question!

Recommended links

What's normal behaviour and what's violence?