Is it okay for siblings to physically fight?

[GlitterGlobe30]

My younger teenage brother (16) starts fights with his brother (17). He has autism and he seems to get bored or frustrated and starts a fight with his older brother which involves hitting/scratching etc and my 17 year old brother has to try and defend himself. My brother (17) always ends up with marks and scratches all over his face. Both are punished equally by their Dad taking their laptops away. The autistic brother starts on his brother on a daily basis. I try to talk to my Mother about it but she just gives excuses like they're stressed, it's exam time etc and she just laughs and doesn't really care or pay any attention. Aibu to be really upset that my little brother has to put up with his brother starting on him on a daily basis and that he has to put up with physical abuse often? No-one else seems to care but me.

No it’s not OK. My older brother used to hit me and everyone ignored it. Children should feel safe in their own home.

No it’s not normal or ok.

No it's not ok. It's abusive. The 17 year old needs to be safe in his own home. And the other child needs to know it's not on. Or if he's too badly disabled to be able to learn that he shouldn't be living in a family home. I don't think punishment is ideal, instead someone needs to intervene before or as soon as it starts and physically separate them. Is there any trigger or time of day it happens? Could the one who starts it to go to his room to calm down? Do they have their own rooms?

The 17-year-old brother is essentially suffering domestic abuse from the younger one. Starting physical fights like that, especially to the point where the brother being attacked has scratches and bruises on his face, is not a symptom of exam stress, and the fact that the younger brother is autistic absolutely does not mean that your other brother should have to put up with physical violence.

It is absolutely horrible that your parents ignore this.

It’s definitely not alright. Being autistic is not a free pass to be an arsehole.

Their Dad is not my Dad which I think is why I find it so disturbing as I'm not used to this - my Dad was really good with discipline when I was growing up and me and my full brothers never would have even dreamed of hitting each other.

It's not OK. My older sister used to hurt me, physically and verbally. It stays with you for life.
I have an autistic DS, who has never been violent towards the younger ones. I wouldn't tolerate it. It's absolutely no excuse. It's bad parenting to allow that situation.

No, it's not OK. My brother and I used to fight physically. Now, as an adult, I'm mystified as to why our parents didn't stop us. It isn't a way to resolve issues. My brother used to needle and needle at me until it ended in a physical fight. My parents' response was 'if you ignore him, he'll stop doing it'. I remember one day hearing my neighbour tell her children off for similar behaviour and nipping it in the bud. It was a revelation that you didn't have to put up with a sibling doing this.

I'm not sure exactly how to stop it, but it shouldn't be happening.

My 13 year old dd is autistic and in the past has hit me and her 10 year old sister. She knows now it will not be tolerated at all and if she feels that way inclined to take herself off into a different room to calm down or outside.