When Siblings Harm: What to Know About Sexual Abuse at Home

When Siblings Harm: What to Know About Sexual Abuse at Home

Sibling sexual abuse is one of the most hidden and least spoken about forms of harm within the home. In this episode, we begin a careful and necessary conversation about what it looks like when harmful sexual behaviour happens between siblings, specifically when both children are minors. Drawing from real conversations with children, this episode explores why many children never speak up, how family dynamics shape silence, and why this form of abuse is often misunderstood or dismissed. You will also hear a deeper reflection on exposure, including early encounters with pornography, and how removing shame can open the door for children to seek help before harm escalates. This episode is for parents, caregivers, educators, and anyone who wants to better understand what is often left unspoken, and how to respond differently. Further Listening & Resources * Understanding and responding to sibling sexual harm and abuse (NSPCC Report) * What if I Abused My Sibling (Ask Kati Anything Podcast): https://youtu.be/YiD0Eh24R2U?si=S53-0b7lIAga745x * Opening Doors: Speaking Out about Sibling Sexual Abuse: https://youtu.be/HD_ac_WwDO8?si=DmG8ixnaTBnPirqb Music Credit Aftermath – Epic Spectrum Source: https://freetouse.com/music Free Music No Copyright (Safe)

When a Child is the One Who Harms

When a child is the one who causes sexual harm, it complicates everything we thought we understood about who needs protection and who needs intervention. It asks us to hold two truths at the same time. That a child was harmed, and that the one who caused the harm is also a child. In this episode we talk about what child on child sexual abuse actually is, why it happens, why it goes undetected in homes, the specific situations where it is most likely to occur, and what the right response looks like for both children involved. We also cover the signs that a child may be displaying harmful sexual behaviour.

Who Abuses Children

Most of what we believe about who abuses children is wrong, and that wrongness is costing children their safety. In this episode, we dismantle the most persistent myths about child sexual abuse perpetrators, trace how stranger danger and media narratives shaped a picture of the abuser that almost never matches reality, and then answer the question directly: who actually abuses children, what they have in common, and why the most dangerous person in a child’s life is almost always someone that child already knows and trusts.

After a Child Tells: Supporting Partners and Children

In this closing episode of our disclosure series, we walk alongside caregivers, partners, and families navigating the days after a child’s revelation. We explore ways to respond with care, support loved ones facing guilt and fear, and create a space where healing can begin. Through real-life examples, practical insights, and compassionate guidance, this episode offers understanding and encouragement for anyone committed to restoring children after disclosure.

When a child leaves their story with you: The Hidden Burden Of Disclosure

In this episode we explore what it really means when a child leaves their story with you. From the hidden burden mothers often carry, to the silence families wrestle with, to the difficult question of how to tell a partner, this conversation opens up the perspective of the listener and offers both reflection and practical guidance for parents, caregivers, and everyone desiring a safer world for children.