Be nice to your sister! Stop picking on your brother! That's a time-out for both of you. When nothing works to stop the incessant battles, where can exhausted parents turn? Sibling expert and family therapist Jonathan Caspi knows that understanding why kids fight is the first essential step to restoring peace. Featuring clear principles, dos and don'ts, and loads of stories, this book shines a spotlight on family dynamics. Dr. Caspi guides you to make an effective plan for managing conflicts, so you can keep a cool head in the heat of the moment. Learn why it's never helpful to compare kids to each other, how to quell sibling struggles without taking sides, when to intervene (and when to step back), and what to do when parents aren't on the same page. Improving sibling relationships can have lifelong benefits for your family. This compassionate book shows how.
Be nice to your sister! Stop picking on your brother! That's a time-out for both of you. When nothing works to stop the incessant battles, where can exhausted parents turn? Sibling expert and family therapist Jonathan Caspi knows that understanding why kids fight is the first essential step to restoring peace. Featuring clear principles, dos and don'ts, and loads of stories, this book shines a spotlight on family dynamics. Dr. Caspi guides you to make an effective plan for managing conflicts, so you can keep a cool head in the heat of the moment. Learn why it's never helpful to compare kids to each other, how to quell sibling struggles without taking sides, when to intervene (and when to step back), and what to do when parents aren't on the same page. Improving sibling relationships can have lifelong benefits for your family. This compassionate book shows how.
[This] book elucidates the often-forgotten sibling subsystem and its importance for illuminating family dynamics; it is unique in its specific approach to violence and aggression.--PsycCRITIQUES
Most people see aggression between siblings as an unavoidable, normal and ultimately harmless aspect of child development, yet it can often cause social adjustment and behavioral problems, some of which may be severe and even precursors to other forms of violence. This volume addresses a significant void in family studies and child development literature by providing an empirically based guide to the causes, assessment and treatment of sibling aggression.
Caspi considers both extreme (severe physical and sexual abuse) and lesser (competition and antagonism) forms of aggression and provides a step-by-step treatment program for five family dynamics that commonly exacerbate sibling aggression. Treatment is based on task-centered and family systems models and bolstered by case studies.
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I heartily recommend Sibling Development.--CFLE Network Newsletter (National Council on Family Relations)
Sibling relationships have a major influence on a person's development and behavior, yet, until now the topic has been seriously underrepresented in the professional literature.
Sibling Development: Implications for Mental Health Practitioners addresses this gap by examining the range of developmental, clinical, and cultural issues related to sibling relationships. It highlights positive sibling relationships as a source of strength and resilience; at the other end of the spectrum, it addresses sibling abuse, a dangerous and underdiagnosed condition. It demonstrates the crucial support that siblings can provide each other in families experiencing mental illness, substance abuse, divorce, and other stressors. It also considers issues of cultural and ethnic diversity, gender, disability, and sexual orientation as they relate to siblings and their families.
Each chapter provides case studies to illustrate how theory and empirical findings can be incorporated into culturally informed treatment, and offers implications for practice and future research. It is an essential resource for all practitioners, researchers, students, and educators who work with or study siblings.
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