본 연구의 목적은 아동의 형제폭력 수준을 파악한 후 아동의 학대경험이형제폭력에 영향을 미치는지와 이 과정에서 자아존중감과 공격성이 이를매개하는지를 검증하려는 것이다. 경상남도 J시에 재학 중인 초등학교 4학년부터 중학교 3학년 아동 568명을 대상으로 조사 분석한 결과, 조사대상아동 가운데 44.2%가 형제자매에게 지난 1년 동안 언어, 심리, 신체적으로어떠한 형태로든 한 번 이상 폭력을 행사한 것으로 나타났다. 아동의 학대경험은 매개변인인 공격성에 정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로, 공격성은 형제폭력에 정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타나 공격성의 매개효과가 검증되었다. 자아존중감의 매개효과는 검증되지 못하였다. 결론적으로 아동의 학대경험은 형제폭력에 직접적으로 영향을 미치기도 하지만 공격성을 매개로하여 형제폭력의 가능성을 증가시키는 것으로 나타났다. 결과를 바탕으로아동복지 관련 정책적 및 실천적 함의를 제안하였다.

The aim of this study is 1) to examine the extent to which children commit violence towards their siblings, 2) to examine whether abuse experience affect sibling violence, and 3) to identify mediating effects of self-esteem and aggression between abuse experience and sibling violence. The study redefined sibling violence and abuse experience from a literature review. Sibling violence and abuse experience were categorized into verbal, emotional, and physical maltreatment. This study collected a total of 600 children who are in fourth to sixth grade at primary schools and first to third grade at middle schools in one city of Gyeongsangnamdo using convenience and cluster sampling methods. The final sample of 568 cases were used in the analyses. Results show that 44.2% of children have committed any type of violence against sibling more than once during the last year; 67.2% committed verbal violence, 39.5%; committed emotional violence; and 21.2% committed physical violence. Abuse experience of children directly and indirectly affected children’s violence against their sibling. Abuse experience significantly increased the aggression of children and aggression also increased the sibling violence, thus aggression was found to mediate the relationship between abuse experience and sibling violence. However, self-esteem was not identified as a mediator in this study. Policy and practice implications were discussed based on the study results.

The aim of this study is 1) to examine the extent to which children commit violence towards their siblings, 2) to examine whether abuse experience affect sibling violence, and 3) to identify mediating effects of self-esteem and aggression between abuse experience and sibling violence. The study redefined sibling violence and abuse experience from a literature review. Sibling violence and abuse experience were categorized into verbal, emotional, and physical maltreatment. This study collected a total of 600 children who are in fourth to sixth grade at primary schools and first to third grade at middle schools in one city of Gyeongsangnamdo using convenience and cluster sampling methods. The final sample of 568 cases were used in the analyses. Results show that 44.2% of children have committed any type of violence against sibling more than once during the last year; 67.2% committed verbal violence, 39.5%; committed emotional violence; and 21.2% committed physical violence. Abuse experience of children directly and indirectly affected children’s violence against their sibling. Abuse experience significantly increased the aggression of children and aggression also increased the sibling violence, thus aggression was found to mediate the relationship between abuse experience and sibling violence. However, self-esteem was not identified as a mediator in this study. Policy and practice implications were discussed based on the study results.

Sibling Violence, Abuse Experience, Self-Esteem,Aggression, Mediating Effects