Clémence Dayan

Violence among siblings and joint placement: a review of the literature

The question of joint placement arises when making the decision to place children of the same siblingship as part of the protective measures taken in the case of parental mistreatment, particularly when there is evidence of mistreatment among the siblings. This paper reviews 219 recent articles addressing the joint placement of brothers and sisters and/or mistreatment within siblingships. The authors refer to the different theories, methods and questions related to this issue and the tools that have been used, as well as the main results are reviewed here. In particular, the indications and contraindications of joint placement of siblings and its effects and factors as well as the psychopathological consequences of intra-sibling violence will also be addressed. This paper shows the need for further research in this area, in particular, so as to refine the methodologies and tools used to analyse the relationships between siblings before, during and after their placement.

Support Groups for Sisters and Brothers of Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

This prospective study aimed at shedding some light on the functioning of French support groups for brothers and sisters of children with disabilities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the sisters, brothers and parents of children with disabilities along with care professionals. Focus groups were carried out with healthcare professionals directly involved in sibling support groups. The overall results showed that such groups are appreciated and psychologically helpful. This study also identifies several limitations inherent to these groups and proposes a discussion addressing potential areas for improvement.