TRUST BETRAYED, SECRETS KEPT!
I idolized my big brother,
desired his affirmation, approval, and acceptance. He summoned me to his bedroom and informed me
that he was going to “educate” me. I
felt a tinge of discomfort as I heard him unzip his pants and sensed his
movement toward me. The meaning of
“educate” became clear as he approached me and began a series of sexual acts. As
a 12-year-old, my 17-year-old brother’s actions left me confused, feeling guilty,
and frightened. I was terrified that if
I told anyone I would betray my brother and be blamed by my parents for being
in his room. I often wondered why I kept
the secret for as long as I did. The
truth is I finally realized that I was not to blame for these incidents and my
desire to release any secrets I held hostage in my soul triggered my need to
speak out.
My mother’s response and
brother’s lack of response were not surprising as I have been the family
“scapegoat” for most of my life. My motive for sharing my story is to let
others know that not only are they not alone, but that when the truth is
exposed the response may be ugly, empty, and hurtful. Many victims may fail to be embraced,
comforted, or experience empathy. Some
people will feel attacked, accused, deemed dishonest, and feel a deep sense of
despair. The truth will set you free and
bringing the light to something that has been hidden in the dark dissolves its
power and control over your soul.
Sibling incest is one of the
least researched and discussed topics among mental health professionals, the
media, and the general public.
Individuals who have experienced this type of trauma are less likely to
report the incidences as the perpetrator is a part of a core family unit. The risk of disclosure can far outweigh
carrying the weight of the secret. You are not alone and the damage of keeping
this issue in the dark has kept many people locked into the belief that they
are alone, responsible, or betraying their family by speaking about their
experience.
Sibling sexual abuse is sexual
contact, masturbation, oral sex, and/or intercourse between siblings with
greater than a three-year age difference.
An older sibling may use coercion, pressure, manipulation, power
differentials, or tricks to engage the victim in sexual acts. Estimates range from 15% to 19% of all people
report sexual abuse by a sibling and many experts believe the incidence of this
type of abuse is much higher as many siblings keep the abuse secret. As adults reflect on their childhood
experience either in or outside of therapy, many people begin to understand the
impact of the sibling’s actions and the traumatic effects exhibited throughout
their life from this cultural taboo.
Adults who have experienced
sibling abuse as a child may experience sleeping disorders, anxiety, PTSD, poor
self-concept, poor self-esteem, issues with trust, self-blame, shame, and/or
guilt. Victims may also experience a
feeling of responsibility for the abuse and form unhealthy attachments to the
sibling. Research has shown that early
sexual encounters have a profound impact on the victim’s brain development due
to the way distress alters the brains signals, pathways, and impacts the way an
individual experiences PTSD, stress response, hormone activity, and depression
(Anderson, Tomada, Vincow, et. al).
Siblings have an opportunity to
find healing and reconciliation through open, honest, and compassionate
conversations with each other.
Individuals can overcome the negative effects of sibling abuse through
therapy, spirituality, and the support of caring friends. Forgiving the abuser
frees the victim even if the abuser fails to accept responsibility for the hurt
and abuse. Family rejection may occur, yet, many individuals find deep,
meaningful, loving relationships from others and learn to redefine family. If you would like to join a support group for
those who have experienced sibling abuse, please contact me at katherine@r3wire.org.
Citation
Andersen, S. L., Tomada, A., Vincow, E. S.,
Valente, E., Polcari, A., & Teicher, M. H. (2008). Preliminary evidence for
sensitive periods in the effect of childhood sexual abuse on regional brain
development. The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 20(3),
292–301. doi:10.1176/appi.neuropsych.20.3.292
Konopka L. M. (2015). The impact of child
abuse: neuroscience perspective. Croatian medical journal, 56(3),
315–316. doi:10.3325/cmj.2015.56.315
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