Worried about bullies at school? Don’t overlook the bully at home...

Good parents go to great lengths to protect their children from bullies out in the world - but watch out for the bullies at home...

New research warns that sibling aggression is more common that we might think and often overlooked as normal sibling behavior. The study found that 32% of children and adolescents had experienced bullying behavior from a brother or sister in the past year alone. 

The aggressive behavior was defined as physical assault, property victimization, such as forcibly taking something a child was wearing, or destroying something belonging to the child, or psychological aggression such as name-calling or telling the child he or she wasn't wanted around.

Sibling aggression can do some serious damage and lead to anger, anxiety and depression in the targeted brothers or sisters. Parents and other adults often underestimate or downplay sibling aggression - or just don’t know how to address it. Corinna Jenkins Tucker, author of the study, says there is a big push now to stop bullying and peer aggression, and these programs should include a focus on siblings to raise awareness of potentially dangerous situations.