# The long-term mental health effects of sibling bullying

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- Last updated: 2026-09-14
- Page title: The long-term mental health effects of sibling bullying | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alişan Burak Yaşar

> Sibling bullying assessed at age 12 is associated with roughly twice the odds of depression and self-harm at age 18. 🧠 What distinguishes sibling conflict

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# The long-term mental health effects of sibling bullying

September 14, 2026Recent Articles

Sibling bullying assessed at age 12 is associated with roughly twice the odds of depression and self-harm at age 18.

🧠 What distinguishes sibling conflict from sibling bullying is not the severity of the fighting, but its repetition. According to a Lancet Psychiatry review, up to 40% of siblings experience sibling bullying every week. Using a broader definition, 46% of 4,237 young people reported being victims, while 36% reported acting aggressively toward a sibling.

In the Avon birth cohort, more than 6,900 children were followed from age 12 to age 18. Those who reported frequent sibling bullying had roughly twice the odds of depression (odds ratio 2.16), self-harm (2.56), and anxiety (1.83). In the same cohort, associations with suicidal ideation (odds ratio 1.52) and self-harm with suicidal intent (2.20) persisted at age 24. These are longitudinal studies: they report associations, not causation.

A less well-known finding is that the risk is not limited to victims. Children who bullied their siblings were also found to have higher odds of a psychotic disorder at age 18. The effects are also cumulative, because a child who is victimized both at home and at school has no safe place left to escape to.

🏠 What to do at home: do not dismiss repeated, harmful behavior as "sibling conflict"; tell your doctor—the Lancet Psychiatry review recommends asking about it directly; be a mediator rather than a referee, as children whose parents received mediation training resolved conflicts more constructively; stop using harsh discipline, as positive parenting was found to be protective; address what is happening at school as well.

If self-harm or suicidal thoughts are present: 112 · ALO 183

This content is not diagnostic or treatment advice.

Sources: Bowes ve ark. (2014), Pediatrics · Dantchev ve ark. (2018), Psychological Medicine · Dantchev ve ark. (2019), Frontiers in Psychiatry · Wolke ve ark. (2015), Lancet Psychiatry · Tucker ve ark. (2013), Pediatrics · Tippett ve Wolke (2015), Aggressive Behavior · Dantchev ve Wolke (2019), Developmental Psychology · Smith ve Ross (2007), Child Development

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