The Nature of Sibling Bullying Among Primary School Students

This study examined the nature and extent of sibling bullying in terms of its frequency, perpetrators and victims, motives, and contextual characteristics. Participants were 356 Turkish fourth-grade primary school students (191 girls, 165 boys). Data were collected using the Revised Sibling Bullying Scale, the Motives and Reasons for Sibling Bullying Questionnaire, the Places and Times of Sibling Bullying Questionnaire, a sibling identification form, and a demographic information form. Findings indicated that the most common sibling bullying behaviours were name-calling, hitting, intimidation, and teasing. Older brothers were identified as the most frequent perpetrators, whereas younger brothers were the most frequent victims. Fun, revenge, and boredom emerged as the most common motives for perpetration, while victims reported joking, relieving boredom, scaring, and revenge as the most common reasons for victimisation. Sibling bullying occurred most frequently when siblings spent time together and in situations where parental supervision was absent. The findings suggest that sibling bullying is a significant problem within the home environment and highlight the importance of parental awareness and early intervention. Implications for the definition, prevention, and intervention of sibling bullying are discussed in light of the existing literature.