1. Framing sibling incest
Dr. Peter Yates
Lecturer in Child and Public Protection, Edinburgh Napier University
Managing High Risk Conference
Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice
Strathclyde University
2nd February 2017

2. Frames
A frame is like a mental filter. The world is not perceived directly but through a mental filter, comprising of templates of interpretations of prior experiences, concepts and constructed knowledge.

3. Social worker decision making around whether siblings can:
remain living together
have contact with each other
return to live together again

4. What I did
6 local authorities in Scotland
Interviewed 21 social workers regarding 21 families
54 children involved in sibling sexual behaviour
3 examples of sexual behaviour regarded as mutually initiated
Grounded theory methodology

5. Choosing between two children
“What was good for one young person was maybe not good for the other, and then how as two different professional teams, how do you work that out, while balancing risk, and need, and the fact that you actually don’t know what’s gone on in the first place! I mean it was just a mess.” (Jenny)

6. The social workers’ practice mindset
Parents as well- intentioned protective
Children as vulnerable and intending no sexual harm to others
Siblings as better together
Sibling relationships as non-abusive and of intrinsic value

7. Children as vulnerable and intending no sexual harm to others
Doubting whether the behaviour happened
Resisting labelling the behaviour as abuse
Looking for reasons
The perpetrator is a child, but the victim is the child
Frame stronger the younger the child, the closer the social worker’s relationship with the child, the more remorseful the child

8. Sibling relationships as non-abusive and of intrinsic value
Requiring a second incident
Focusing on safety
“There was no evidence at the time of contact being damaging…although what had happened was very serious and actually probably was quite traumatic for Paul, erm. We didn't stop to question these things. That's what I'm thinking just now…I didn't stop to think whether contact was appropriate or not. I just assumed that it would be important to maintain a bond.” (Scott)
Making rules

9. Sibling relationships…
Separation not a long-term solution
“They are family members and there's only so long that you can go without introducing them back together.” (Angela)
“There just became a time where we thought, right time's getting on now…I don't think there was any particular incident or something happened or work done…the decision was made because of a lapse of time rather than…any particular change in risk.” (Liz)
Frame stronger if siblings had lived and grown up together, and the more the social worker was acquainted with the children as siblings

10. Parents as well-intentioned protective
‘On board’:
Someone I can work with
Having a shared understanding of the problem
Did they report the incident?
Are they willing to accept support?
Do they show commitment to both children, but seem willing to prioritise the victim?

11. “So that's how we knew that this really had…been premeditated
“So that's how we knew that this really had…been premeditated. Um, yeah, it did worry us. But,…I think the fact that he was able to talk about it, and we were able to address it and look at his safety planning,…it didn't prompt us into saying, right let's get him right out of there. Er, 'cause I think there was a lot of guilt attached to it for him. He did feel bad about it. So, yeah. I don't think that, any more so than anything else, was a trigger. So, it was the reporting part, mum not reporting and then not accordingly shifting bedrooms, in terms of, let's look at this risk that's presented [that made us question whether the children could remain living at home].” (Emma)

12. “By that point I was actually past the thinking that we need to accommodate these kids. I was quite past that, because [the parents] were engaging really well by that point.” (Emma)
Frame stronger for social workers who know and like the parents
In 8 out of 9 cases where parent (7 cases) or foster carer (2 cases) were ‘on board’ and decision made to keep siblings together, there was a further incident involving sibling or other close family

13. The social workers’ practice mindset
Parents as well- intentioned protective
Children as vulnerable and intending no sexual harm to others
Siblings as better together
Sibling relationships as non-abusive and of intrinsic value

14. Conclusions and Recommendations
Raise reflexive awareness of these frames and how they may influence decision making
What are your frames?
No evidence that assessment-based decisions are better than intuitive decisions
Need to hold these important decisions to the highest standards of accountability (Munro 2008)

15. Bring an analytical and assessment-based approach to decision making, which includes (amongst other things) an exploration and consideration of:
The victim’s voice
The possible emotional impact of the behaviour
The risks of future sibling sexual behaviour
The quality of the sibling relationship
The protective abilities and capacities of the parents

16. References
Yates, P. (forthcoming) ‘Siblings as better together’: Social worker decision-making in cases involving sibling sexual behaviour. British Journal of Social Work.
Yates, P. (forthcoming) Sibling sexual abuse: Why don’t we talk about it? Journal of Clinical Nursing doi: /jocn.13531

17. Contact
Dr. Peter Yates +44 (0)