MSW students’ experiences with ACEs and capacity to address sibling violence: a pilot study

ABSTRACT

To date no research has examined Master of Social Work (MSW) students’ capacity to address physical and emotional sibling violence (SV) and those factors which may influence this capability. This pilot study examined a sample of MSW students in the Midwestern United States and their perceived capacity to address physical and emotional SV including the influence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Results from students’ self-assessments indicated most students had not been exposed to SV content and ACEs were correlated with receiving and perpetrating SV. Differences were found based on the number of ACEs experienced and the frequency of SV behaviors, but not the capacity to address SV. Implications for training students are presented.

KEYWORDS:

• ACEs
• sibling violence
• MSW
• graduate student

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nathan H. Perkins

Nathan H. Perkins is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago. Nathan’s research focuses on physical and emotional sibling violence and efforts to address this form of family violence.

Jennifer A. Shadik

Jennifer A. Shadik is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at Ohio University. Along with Jennifer’s research to better understanding physical and emotional sibling violence, she also researches fathering as it relates to child abuse and neglect.

Megan A. Cales

Megan A. Cales is an MSW graduate from the Department of Social Work at Ohio University. Megan is currently working as a crisis therapist at Samaritan Behavioral Health, Inc in Ohio.

Savannah P. Ortiz

Savannah P. Ortiz is an MSW graduate from the School of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago. Savannah currently works at InMotion Counseling in Chicago as a therapist using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing techniques with strengths-based, trauma-Informed lens.