Psychopathology and Sibling Violence in a Sample of Portuguese Adolescents

Sibling violence appears to affect the psychological well-being of adolescents, making them susceptible to the development of psychopathological symptomatology. In a sample of 463 Portuguese adolescents with siblings, we intended to ascertain to what extent psychopathological symptomatology varies depending on age and gender; and to analyze whether the tactics of conflict resolution exert a predictor effect on psychopathological symptomatology. The results of the current study showed that females and older adolescents (17-20 years old) seem to be the most vulnerable to psychopathological symptomatology development. We also found that the perpetration of psychological aggression is the only type of violence that positively predicts the evaluated psychopathological symptomatology. Therefore, high rates of sibling violence can be an alert to psychopathological problems that might ensue. Psychological aggression can lead to mental health problems for siblings, so it would be important to implement prevention and intervention programs in this area.