Sibling sexual abuse: What do we know about professional responses? Stage 2 analysis of a 2-stage scoping review

When responding to concerns of sibling sexual abuse, collaborative, whole-family, trauma-informed, and multi-disciplinary approaches are essential. Yet professional responses and offers of support remain varied and inconsistent.

This scoping review asked the question: Of the 104 empirical papers identified in Stage 1 analysis of a 2-stage scoping review (P. Yates et al., 2024) what is known about professional responses and interventions available to professionals when working with sibling sexual abuse cases.

Using the guidelines of Arksey and O'Malley (2005) and 11 academic databases, 3 grey literature databases, journal hand search and Google, identified 91 empirical papers for review. An updated search identified a further 13 papers thus, a sub-sample of 32 papers were identified for this review.

Using the PAGER framework (Bradbury-Jones et al., 2022), we identify fragmented professional responses to sibling sexual abuse, shaped by inconsistent training, taboo beliefs, limited resources, and conflicting attitudes. These factors hinder appropriate language use and decision-making. Holistic, family-oriented approaches are recommended but are difficult to implement amid cultural differences and family complexities. Rigid victim-perpetrator models overlook children with dual experiences and non-abused siblings, leading to inconsistent and inadequate support.

Despite growing recognition of the complexity of sibling sexual abuse, professional responses remain inconsistent and under-supported. To improve outcomes for all those affected, there is an urgent need for coherent guidance, cross-sector training, and the adoption of consistent, trauma-informed, whole-family approaches that reflect the nuanced realities of these cases.