As children, sibling rivalries are a natural and sometimes healthy part of development. They can help kids learn competitive and cooperative skills. However, there’s a difference between competition and maltreatment. The last involves a power imbalance that creates fear and anxiety. Maltreatment can involve name calling, insults, cold shoulders, humiliation, violence or threats, and refusing association with the sibling. It’s important not to mistake abuse for a normal rivalry. If the treatment is one-sided, it’s abuse and parents must intervene.
