Recently there has been an increase in awareness surrounding sibling sexual behaviour (SSB) in practice and research debates. However, it is important to note that this is not a new form of intrafamilial sexual abuse. In recent months these conversations have come to the fore via popular culture and media such as a File On 4 Radio programme, a storyline in Hollyoaks and an article in The Sunday Times magazine that are all focussed explicitly on SSB.
In 2020/21, Professor Kieran McCartan from UWE Bristol and his colleague from University of Birmingham, Associate Professor Dr. Sophie King-Hill, conducted a Home Office funded study into SSB in conjunction with Rape Crisis England and Wales (RCEW) Centres, Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support and West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support/Purple Leaf.
The research was titled ‘Sibling sexual abuse: supporting victims and survivors to recover, heal and rebuild their lives’. The research identified what was needed for adults’ victim/survivors of historical SSB to understand and recover from their experiences as well as to develop bespoke provision for those experiencing SSB currently to support them and their families.
This work fed into follow on project was led by King-Hill in 22/23 and amalgamated all of the UK research in SSB to create the Sibling Sexual Behaviour Mapping Tool for professionals working with families. The research results where published in a book in 2023 (Understanding and Responding to Sibling Sexual Abuse).
These research studies concluded that there is not consistent or fit for purpose policy guidelines surrounding SSB in the UK. In order to understand SSB better, and therefore respond to it and prevent it more effectively there needs to have a clearer view of what the actual scale, nature and reality of the issue is.
The research also found that the support offered to families was piecemeal and fragmented, which consisted of pockets of excellent provision in some postcode and no bespoke provision available in others. This points to the need for a joined up approach from the government to tackle this pressing issues consistently nationwide.
This resulted in the development of these policy and practice recommendations for government that relate to:
- Clearer definition, criteria and recording of SSB cases in Children in Need Data.
- The implementation of Sibling Sexual Behaviour Mapping Tool.
- National recognition of SSB as a multi-faceted health and well-being issue.
- SSB being included in relationship, sex and health education (RSHE) in schools.
- The importance of early early upskilling all frontline workers to identify SSB.
Both authors are engaged in ongoing research, policy and practice with leading charities and social justice organisations (including, NSPCC, Barnardo’s, Lucy Faithful, Thriving Survivors, and Be Safe) to better understand the prevalence of SSB, the activities involved and the best ways to prevent and respond to it.
The policy brief can be found below:
https://research.birmingham.ac.uk/en/publications/reducing-sibling-sexual-behaviour-policy-brief
Additional Support
If you are a young person worried about your own or others’ sexual behaviour you can anonymously contact Shore for support.
If you are an adult concerned about your own or others’ sexual behaviours you can contact the Stop it Now Helpline for confidential support.