Emerging Adult Siblings' Use of Verbally Aggressive Messages as Hurtful Messages

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the specific types of verbally aggressive messages emerging adult siblings use with each other and to determine whether these types of verbally aggressive messages differ in perceived hurtfulness, intensity, and intent. Participants were 115 individuals who identified a verbally aggressive message recently used by a sibling. Results indicated that siblings use seven types of verbally aggressive messages (i.e., name calling, insults, withdrawal, physical acts or threats, repudiating the relationship, negative affect, unfair comparison), and the seven types of verbally aggressive messages do not differ in their perceived hurtfulness, intensity, and intent.

Keywords:

• Emerging Adults
• Hurtful Messages
• Sibling Relationships
• Verbal Aggressiveness

The authors would like to thank the two reviewers for their helpful and constructive comments. A version of this manuscript was presented at the 2007 annual meeting of the National Communication Association, Chicago, Illinois.

Notes

Participants were provided with these directions: Before you complete this questionnaire, please identify one sibling and complete this questionnaire in reference to this sibling. Identify this sibling by the initial of his/her first name: ____. Although most siblings report that their relationships are emotionally close, there are times when siblings use a verbally aggressive message. Verbal aggressiveness is defined as a message in which something is said to psychologically hurt another individual. A verbally aggressive message can be verbal, nonverbal, or both. Based on this definition, in the space below, please provide one example of something your sibling has said—within the last month—that you would consider to be a verbally aggressive message. Be as specific as possible. There is neither a wrong nor a right answer.”

For each measure, participants were provided with this prompt: “Based on the verbally aggressive message you just identified, please place the number in the blank that best represents your feelings about the message or your sibling.”

For example, in the exemplar “I hate you, I can't wait until you go back to school” (004), negative affect—“I hate you—was coded as the dominant message because it was the first message coded. The withdrawal message—“I can't wait until you go back to school”—was a secondary message stated in response to the expression of negative affect.

Some examples of messages coded as “other” are: “No data” (057), “N/A, I have not talked to either of my brothers in over a month” (179), “Nothing that I can think of” (185), and “We don't talk that often so I can't remember a verbally aggressive message” (188).

The number refers to the numerical code assigned to the questionnaire.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Scott A. Myers

Scott A. Myers (PhD, Kent State University, 1995) is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies, West Virginia University.

Leah E. Bryant

Leah E. Bryant (PhD, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2003) is an assistant professor in the College of Communication, DePaul University.