Justice Through Many Lenses: Exploring Pathways After Sibling Sexual Trauma
I am truly looking forward to the August Conversation Café events, which will focus on the question: What does justice look like to you? I was only asked this question in my 50s, and it came from a researcher. It’s extraordinary that no one had ever asked me this earlier in my life. Did no one consider justice an option for survivors? Did no one care? I won’t go down the rabbit hole of ‘why not?’ There will be many reasons we could list out, I’m certain, between us all! I believe it is connected to the lack of discussion surrounding survivors and families affected by sibling sexual harm across the decades. Thankfully, more of us are making more noise now, and things will change sooner for victims-survivors and families to get closure.
If you would like to come prepared for that conversation, I thought it might be helpful to both of us to collate some articles. The next thought I had was to make them available in this blog post today. It is designed to inform and inspire reflection ahead of our August Conversation Cafés.
Each entry includes a brief overview; some provide general information, while others focus on restorative, legal, and family systems-focused pathways, along with a direct link to each website or article. I came across a lot more but this is at least a short list to look at if you’re curious and the full list is included as a PDF on our Resources page.
Understanding Sibling Sexual Abuse and Trauma
This resource provides information for survivors of sibling sexual abuse or trauma, offering guidance, support, and resources for healing.
Read more: https://siblingsexualtrauma.com
Restorative Justice Conferencing in Intrafamilial Sexual Offences
This study examines how restorative justice (RJ) processes, conducted following intrafamilial sexual abuse, helped restore family relationships and assessed their contribution to the healing and recovery of victims and the family system.
Read more: https://link.springer.com
Legal Frameworks Addressing Sibling Sexual Abuse
Explore the legal frameworks addressing sibling sexual abuse, clarifying the distinct responsibilities and potential consequences for all parties involved.
Read more: https://legalclarity.org/sibling-sexual-abuse-laws-and-legal-consequences/
A Relational Strengths-Based Approach to Therapy
This paper describes a relational, strengths-based approach to psychotherapy with adult survivors of sibling sexual abuse, guided by trauma-informed principles.
Read more: https://springer.com
Restorative Justice in Cases of Sexual Harm
This article discusses restorative justice for cases of sexual harm, offering a trauma-informed and evidence-based approach to healing and prevention that current criminal legal options do not.
Read more: https://academicworks.cuny.edu
Sibling Sexual Abuse: Survivor Experiences and Healing
This resource shares the experiences of three survivors of sibling sexual abuse, including their healing journeys and the impact on family dynamics.
Read more: https://thetimes.co.uk
Supporting Survivors of Sibling Sexual Abuse and Family Violence
This article explores the impacts that survivors of sibling sexual abuse and other types of family violence may experience, and how to receive support.
Restorative Justice for Cases of Sexual Violence: A Literature Review
This literature review aims to present a more in-depth understanding of current research evaluating restorative justice and how it’s conceptualised in terms of consent and sexual violence.
Read more: https://brissc.org.au
The Gatehouse: A Restorative Justice/Peer-Support Group Approach
This article addresses factors needed for healing in a peer-support group for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, evaluating the effectiveness of The Gatehouse’s restorative, peer-support group.
Stages of Change Theory in Family Therapy for Sibling Sexual Assault
This article discusses the application of the Stages of Change model in family therapy for sibling sexual assault, highlighting the integration of restorative justice as a complement to systemic family therapy.
Read more: https://cambridge.org
Disclaimer:
The resources provided above are intended to offer diverse perspectives on justice pathways following sibling sexual trauma. They are shared to inform and inspire reflection and are not endorsements of any particular approach. Each individual’s journey is unique, and the path to healing and justice varies accordingly.
We hope you will join us at one or both Conversation Cafe events in August. You can find the registration links on our Conversation Cafe & Events page on this site.
Thank you for being here.