Experiences With Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence in Childhood and Adult Attachment in a Sample of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals

Abstract

To the best of our knowledge, no research has been conducted specifically examining the influence of physical and emotional sibling violence on adult attachment in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. To address this gap, we conducted an exploratory research study using survey methods and asked a sample of 150 participants about their experiences with physical and emotional sibling violence in childhood and attachment in close relationships in adulthood. We found an association between physical and emotional sibling violence and closeness to and dependency on others in adulthood, but no association with fear of abandonment and rejection by others. Implications include the need for psychoeducation and for practitioners to assess for physical and emotional sibling violence when working with individuals and families with members who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual.