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When a Child Sexually Abuses a Sibling: a Mother's Story

A mom of three who discovered that one son was sexually abusing her other two shares her family’s agonizing journey with PEOPLE magazine.



Experts believe sexual abuse by a sibling, known as sibling sexual abuse or SSA, is the most common form of sexual abuse in the home — it is thought to occur at least three times more frequently than sexual abuse by a parent. But it's rarely discussed and rarely reported. Two years ago, Hope (a pseudonym), a mother of three boys, discovered that her oldest son was abusing her younger two sons. Here, she shares her story.


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