Juvenile siblicide within a child maltreatment framework: Developmental contexts, family adversity, and premeditation in a forensic psychiatric sample from Turkey.

BACKGROUND

Sibling violence is one of the most prevalent yet underacknowledged forms of family violence and may, in rare instances, escalate to siblicide. Developmental characteristics of juvenile siblicide offenders have received limited empirical attention, particularly regarding maltreatment exposure and cumulative adversity.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the sociodemographic, familial, psychiatric, and offense-related profiles of juvenile siblicide offenders, with a focus on maltreatment exposure, cumulative adversity, and developmental contexts of lethal sibling violence.

PARTICIPANTS AND

SETTING

Twenty-two juveniles (aged 12-17 years) evaluated for siblicide or attempted siblicide at a national forensic psychiatric authority in Turkey between 2012 and 2025.

METHODS

A retrospective record-based design was employed using forensic psychiatric reports, judicial records, and social investigation files. A cumulative childhood adversity index was calculated, and maltreatment-exposed versus non-exposed groups were compared using Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS

Child maltreatment was documented in 45.5% of cases and was associated with premeditation (6/10 [60.0%] vs. 0/12 [0.0%], p = .003) and offenses embedded in a family violence context (9/10 [90.0%] vs. 4/12 [33.3%], p = .011). Most offenses involved impulsive interpersonal conflict (68.2%), and 40.9% scored ≥3 on the adversity index. Externalizing disorders were the most frequent psychiatric category (36.4%), followed by internalizing (27.3%) and other disorders (13.6%), including psychotic disorder and dissociative features.

CONCLUSIONS

Juvenile siblicide emerges from the convergence of maltreatment, cumulative adversity, and psychiatric vulnerability. Maltreatment exposure may be associated with higher premeditation rates and a family violence-embedded motivational context, highlighting the need to integrate sibling violence into child protection and forensic psychiatric frameworks.