Perceptions of Sibling Privacy Boundaries in a Primarily Hispanic College Population

Families establish both spoken and unspoken physical boundaries between family members. However, families may violate boundaries in a way that may constitute normative family practices but may also increase the risk of sibling sexual abuse (SSA). Drawing on previous work, we utilized the Family Practice Questionnaire, Version VII in a current sample of largely, Hispanic college students. One thousand and sixty-one (N = 1,061) students from a large Hispanic Serving Institute in the southeastern U.S. served as participants. Results found variation in the perceptions of family practices (e.g. hygiene, affection, and privacy behaviors), with participants endorsing some behaviors as inappropriate at any ages, particularly if the behavior revolved around nudity. Similar to previous research, some significant gender differences in behaviors were found where older sisters were often thought to be able to engage in certain behaviors with younger siblings (both male and female) longer than older brothers. Likewise, significant differences were found as a factor of participant gender and racial-ethnic identity for some behaviors, suggesting that these variables may influence perceptions on what behaviors are appropriate. These results have implications for family health discussions with physicians and other health professionals involved in child and family care in order to ensure that children are protected.