A family fight in McDermott raises a complicated question: What is an older sibling supposed to do when younger brothers or sisters call and say they need help?
Scioto County sheriff’s deputies were called after a woman reported that her oldest son came into her home, kicked her in the stomach, and was trying to take his younger siblings from the residence.
Then the son called 911, too.
He told dispatchers his siblings had reached out to him for help and claimed there was no food in the house.
He also told deputies that his mother had been abusive toward him while he was growing up.
Those are competing allegations, and the available sheriff’s log does not tell us what deputies ultimately determined.
But the call points to a situation that can happen in troubled families: an older child grows up, gets out of the house, and then becomes the person younger siblings call when they are scared, hungry, or believe something is wrong.
Older Siblings Can Be an Important Lifeline
Older brothers and sisters may know family history that teachers, neighbors, or even social workers don’t.
They may recognize behavior younger children describe because they experienced something similar themselves.
And sometimes younger siblings simply feel safer telling an older brother or sister than they do telling another adult.
Child-welfare guidance recognizes siblings as family members who can play an important role when children cannot safely remain with their parents. Ohio’s kinship-care rules specifically include adult siblings among relatives who may potentially care for a child in place of a parent.
But there is an important distinction between helping and simply taking matters into your own hands.
Even if an older sibling genuinely believes children are being neglected or abused, forcing entry into a home, getting into a physical confrontation, or attempting to remove children without legal authority can create another dangerous situation.
The safer move is to call for help.
Where Can an Adult Sibling Turn?
If younger siblings say they are being hurt, left without food, abandoned, or otherwise unsafe, an adult brother or sister can contact law enforcement when there is an immediate danger and report the concern to the local public children services agency.
They do not have to prove abuse before raising a concern. Child-welfare workers investigate reports, assess safety and risk, and determine what services or intervention may be necessary. Ohio’s family-assessment process specifically looks at alleged harm, safety issues, family strengths and needs, and the circumstances of siblings in the household.
If Children Services determines the children cannot remain safely with a parent, an adult sibling may also be considered as a kinship caregiver depending on the circumstances.
Ohio also operates the free OhioKAN Kinship & Adoption Navigator program, which helps relatives caring for children navigate legal help, benefits, childcare, education, financial assistance and other services.
That can be especially important for older siblings who suddenly find themselves trying to protect younger children but have no idea how custody, Children Services, school enrollment, medical care, or financial support actually work.
Being the Big Brother or Sister Can Get Complicated Fast
The instinct to go get your little brother or sister can be powerful, particularly for someone who believes they survived the same problems themselves.
But the system still has to determine whether the allegations are true, whether the children are in danger, and who has legal authority to care for them.
In this McDermott call, the mother accused her adult son of assaulting her.
The son told police he was responding because his siblings had asked for help.
Both things can be investigated.
And for older siblings who find themselves in that position, the best way to protect younger children is usually not to handle it alone.
Call police when there is immediate danger. Contact Children Services when there are concerns about abuse or neglect. And if the situation reaches the point where those children need somewhere else to live, ask about becoming part of the solution through kinship care.