抄録
The Kanagawa Prefecture Child Consultation Centre (2023) has reported that sexual abuse and sexual assault between siblings is on the rise. However, national data on the numbers of consultations regarding and reports of sexual abuse show that the incidence of sexual abuse has not greatly increased; in addition, as no survey has been conducted on sexual assault between siblings, the actual situation is not clear. This study examines the factors that make it difficult for child guidance centres to manage sibling sexual assault and discusses them from two perspectives: the legal situation in Japan and the psychological and behavioural tendencies of perpetrators, victims, and guardians. We found that (1) sibling sexual assault is not regarded as an important problem in the Japanese legal system; (2) guardians, perpetrators, and victims tend to avoid the revelation of family sexual assault for their own reasons; and (3) the lack of consensus on how society should handle the issue of sibling sexual assault may make this situation more difficult.
