"Det är ju bara syskonbråk"
(2025) SOPB63 20251School of Social Work
- Abstract
- Sibling violence is an often overlooked form of domestic violence, despite research suggesting it is one of the most common types of violence experienced by children. This study aims to explore the challenges faced by family therapists within Swedish social services in identifying and addressing sibling violence, how these challenges affect their professional discretion, and what consequences sibling violence may have for children’s well-being and relationships. The study is based on qualitative, semi-structured interviews with five family therapists working in southern Sweden. The empirical material was analyzed thematically and interpreted through a theoretical framework combining Michel Foucault’s concept of power with a... (More)
- Sibling violence is an often overlooked form of domestic violence, despite research suggesting it is one of the most common types of violence experienced by children. This study aims to explore the challenges faced by family therapists within Swedish social services in identifying and addressing sibling violence, how these challenges affect their professional discretion, and what consequences sibling violence may have for children’s well-being and relationships. The study is based on qualitative, semi-structured interviews with five family therapists working in southern Sweden. The empirical material was analyzed thematically and interpreted through a theoretical framework combining Michel Foucault’s concept of power with a systems-theoretical perspective on the family. The results reveal that sibling violence is frequently normalized and rendered invisible, both through societal discourses that frame it as “typical sibling conflict” and through the lack of clear definitions and professional guidelines. This normalization complicates practitioners' efforts to identify and intervene in cases of sibling violence. Family therapists describe how the violence often reflects deeper dysfunctions within the family system, including unclear boundaries, emotional neglect, or systemic stress factors. These elements not only contribute to the emergence of violence but also hinder the professional’s room for action. Furthermore, the study shows that sibling violence can have severe psychological and relational consequences for the affected child, such as anxiety, low self-esteem, and difficulties in forming healthy relationships. The findings underscore the need for increased awareness, explicit frameworks, and improved structural and knowledge-based support in social work to ensure that children subjected to sibling violence are recognized and offered appropriate help.
Keywords: sibling violence, domestic violence, social work, family dynamics, latent violence. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9199686
- author
- Halldorsdotter, Moa LU and Nirfelt, Tove LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOPB63 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- sibling violence, domestic violence, social work, family dynamics, latent violence
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9199686
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-22 23:42:50
- date last changed
- 2025-06-22 23:42:50
@misc{9199686,
abstract = {{Sibling violence is an often overlooked form of domestic violence, despite research suggesting it is one of the most common types of violence experienced by children. This study aims to explore the challenges faced by family therapists within Swedish social services in identifying and addressing sibling violence, how these challenges affect their professional discretion, and what consequences sibling violence may have for children’s well-being and relationships. The study is based on qualitative, semi-structured interviews with five family therapists working in southern Sweden. The empirical material was analyzed thematically and interpreted through a theoretical framework combining Michel Foucault’s concept of power with a systems-theoretical perspective on the family. The results reveal that sibling violence is frequently normalized and rendered invisible, both through societal discourses that frame it as “typical sibling conflict” and through the lack of clear definitions and professional guidelines. This normalization complicates practitioners' efforts to identify and intervene in cases of sibling violence. Family therapists describe how the violence often reflects deeper dysfunctions within the family system, including unclear boundaries, emotional neglect, or systemic stress factors. These elements not only contribute to the emergence of violence but also hinder the professional’s room for action. Furthermore, the study shows that sibling violence can have severe psychological and relational consequences for the affected child, such as anxiety, low self-esteem, and difficulties in forming healthy relationships. The findings underscore the need for increased awareness, explicit frameworks, and improved structural and knowledge-based support in social work to ensure that children subjected to sibling violence are recognized and offered appropriate help.
Keywords: sibling violence, domestic violence, social work, family dynamics, latent violence.}},
author = {{Halldorsdotter, Moa and Nirfelt, Tove}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{"Det är ju bara syskonbråk"}},
year = {{2025}},
}