| A limited number of studies on child abuse and family violence have taken into consideration the effects of indirect abuse from exposure to parent-sibling maltreatment. The distinct contribution of this study is in that it provided an innovative perspective on childhood witnesses of familial violence. Whereas some children are selected and subjected to persistent physical abuse, novel insight about childhood abuse was presented from the distinguishing viewpoint of the nonselected sibling who witnessed prolonged parental violence towards another sibling.;This study explored the lived experiences of five adults who witnessed the persistent parental physical abuse of a sibling within their childhood families of origin. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed to analyze the participants' interviews. Data analysis yielded four principal themes: Intrapersonal Reactions to Familial Violence, Interpersonal Reactions to Familial Violence, Family of Origin Background Related to Familial Violence, and Long-Term Effects of Familial Violence. The results of this study suggest that children exposed to the parental physical abuse of a sibling experience long-term adverse effects as well as consequential disharmony among sibling relationships. Overall, these findings underscore the need for greater attention to be given to witnessing abuse towards siblings, particularly within the context of intrafamilial violence. In addition to providing increased awareness around vicarious child abuse, this study emphasized the importance of acknowledging each family member's experience of intrafamilial violence and abuse. In addition, this research provided unique insights for clinical practitioners and researchers interested in this type of vicarious familial abuse and its enduring consequences. Researchers, clinicians, and other service providers are encouraged to broaden their conceptualizations of familial abuse and elicit and explore the victim's experiences of intrafamilial trauma and violence. Keywords: siblings, child abuse, vicarious abuse, familial violence, family dynamics. |
