Adjustment in middle childhood and early adolescence: links with earlier and contemporary sibling relationships

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the associations between interparental and sibling relationships: Positive or negative?

According to family systems theory, a family is regarded as an organized whole and relations within this system are interconnected. However, it is not clear to date whether the interparental and the sibling relationship are associated and, if such an association exists, whether it is positive or negative. Previous findings on the associations between the interparental and sibling relationships are inconsistent and there is as yet no pertinent review or meta-analysis. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis set out (1) to aggregate previous studies investigating the links between the interparental and sibling relationships and (2) to examine potential moderators in this link. Based on 47 studies reporting 234 effect sizes (N = 29,746 from six nations; 6-12 years; 49% boys), meta-analytic results suggest a small positive correlation between interparental and sibling relationship quality (r = .14). Only the percentage of male children in the sample moderated this effect. Sex composition of sibling dyad and source of publication affected whether positive or negative associations were found. The findings support a growing consensus that family relations do not function in isolation, but are mutually interdependent, which should be considered in clinical practice.

Quality of Sibling Relationships in Maltreated Youth Residing in Out-of-Home-Care

When children are removed from their parents's custody because of substantiated maltreatment and placed in out-of-home placements, they may be placed separately from siblings, potentially leading to even higher levels of stress in children. This possibility emerges insofar as siblings serve as a source of support during the uncertain times that accompany maltreatment and subsequent removal. We explored these issues in the present study, focusing on whether sibling relationship quality was related to post-removal behavioral functioning in maltreated children and adolescents. A total of 102 six- to seventeen-year-olds residing in a residential facility completed questionnaires about their sibling relationship quality and behavioral functioning. With age, sibling relationships became more hostile; although in girls, sibling affection also increased with age, at least when their sibling was a girl. Sibling hostility was related to increases in aggression and behavioral problems. Surprisingly, greater sibling affection was associated with increased problems, particularly when children had little contact with their sibling. Results provide insight into perceptions of sibling relationships in maltreated children and have implications for placement decisions.

The Sibling Relationship in the Context of Child Maltreatment: What Do We Know? What Are the Directions for the Future?

Siblings share a common and unique bond. It is one of the most enduring relationships during an individual's life span. Thus, the impact of child maltreatment on sibling relationships is an important area of research to explore. The current article carries out a scoping review targeted at determining the existing knowledge and then identifying research priorities within the field of sibling relationship in the context of child maltreatment. The method elaborates on the various stages that were taken to perform the scoping review, and later, the article provides three results for the readers: The first result is a detailed mapping of the existing literature in the area of sibling relationship in the context of maltreatment. The second result is a thorough thematic analysis that was carried out on this literature that focused on several relevant domains: sibling exposure to intimate partner violence, sibling relationship and experiences in the context of child maltreatment, risk assessment for siblings following maltreatment, and sibling relationships and out-of-home placement. The third result is a set of conclusions targeted mainly at recommending future directions to researchers.

Integrating Parents' Views on Sibling Relationships to Tailor an Evidence-based Parenting Intervention for Sibling Conflict

Parents play a crucial role in the development of their children's relationships with their siblings. Despite this, relatively few evidence-based parenting programs exist that specifically offer parents the strategies and techniques they desire and require for managing their children's sibling relationships. One way of bridging this gap is to design a tailored parenting intervention for sibling relationships that incorporates the parent voice in various aspects of program design. The current study recruited a convenience sample of 409 Australian parents to complete an online survey relating to their views on difficult sibling behaviors and what, if any, help they desire in dealing with the issue. The majority of respondents were Caucasian, middle- to upper-class mothers. Respondents predominantly attributed the causes of sibling conflict to their child's internal traits, but expressed strong desire for assistance with managing behavioral problems, especially when sibling relationships were marked by physical aggression. Respondents reported high levels of acceptability for positive, rather than punitive, parenting strategies and showed a clear preference for parenting interventions delivered in easy-to-access formats. The findings are interpreted in the context of guiding the development of a tailored parenting intervention for enhancing sibling relationships and reducing conflict.

Child behavior and sibling relationship quality: A cross-lagged analysis

Bidirectional associations between sibling relationships and children's problem behaviors are robust, and links with prosocial behavior have also been reported. Using cross-lagged models, we were able to conservatively test temporal directions of links between positive and negative aspects of sibling relationships and children's prosocial behavior and conduct problems across a 3-year time span in middle childhood. The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/researchers/data-access/data-dictionary/) is an ongoing population-based study designed to investigate the effects of a wide range of factors on children's health and development. For the purposes of the current analyses, we included 2,043 ALSPAC families who had just 1 older sibling as well as the target child, with an age gap of no more than 5 years. Mothers reported about the quality of the sibling relationship and both children's prosocial behavior and conduct problems when the target child was 4 years of age and again when the target child was 7 years old. Confirming our hypothesis, individual child behavior was predictive of sibling relationship quality, and sibling relationship quality was predictive of later child behavior, providing robust evidence of bidirectionality for both prosocial behavior and conduct problems. It would be consistent to expect that an improvement in either sibling relationship quality or individual children's behavior could have a positive spill over effect. We also found evidence of older sibling dominance in the domain of prosocial behavior and the positive aspects of sibling interaction. (PsycINFO Database Record

Sibling relationship quality and psychosocial outcomes among adult siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and individuals with intellectual disability without autism

Research on adult typically-developing (TD) siblings of individuals with developmental disabilities remains limited, and outcomes for TD siblings appear to vary widely. For the current study, 82 adult TD siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual disability (ID) completed questionnaires about themselves and their affected sibling. Results of this study suggest that the attitudes possessed by adult TD siblings are important to consider when understanding adult TD sibling outcomes. Specifically, data indicate that higher levels of positive sibling relationship attitudes are related to TD siblings providing more aid/support to their sibling with a disability, along with having higher levels of general life satisfaction, and negatively related to levels of stress and depressive symptoms among TD siblings. Consistent with previous child research, siblings of individuals with ASD reported fewer positive sibling relationship attitudes compared to siblings of individuals with ID. Finally, group membership related to aid provided, depressive symptoms, and stress of TD siblings indirectly through sibling relationship attitudes. Overall, results indicate that sibling relationship attitudes may be particularly important to consider when conceptualizing sibling relationships when one sibling has an intellectual or developmental disability.

An Examination of the Sibling Training Hypothesis for Disruptive Behavior in Early Childhood

Sibling training for disruptive behavior (one sibling teaching another disruptive behavior) is examined during early childhood. We used a conservative, recently developed, statistical model to identify sibling training. Sibling training was operationalized as the cross-lagged association between earlier child behavior and later sibling behavior, and differentiated from other reasons that contribute to sibling similarity. A three-wave longitudinal study tracked 916 children (M_age  = 3.46, SD = 2.23) in 397 families using multi-informant data. Evidence for sibling training was found. Earlier younger siblings' disruptive behavior predicted later lower levels of older siblings' disruptive behavior. Thus, the sibling training found in early childhood was producing greater dissimilarity, rather than similarity, on disruptive behavior.

Sibling Relationships in Emerging Adulthood and in Adolescence

In this study, 116 emerging adults and adolescents completed questionnaires and were interviewed about their relationship with a sibling. Respondents’ siblings and their mothers also rated the quality of the sibling relationship. Emerging adults were found to spend less time and to be less involved in joint activities with their siblings than adolescents, but they reported being more involved in emotional exchanges with and feeling more warmth toward their siblings. Conflict and rivalry were also reported by emerging adults to be less intense than by adolescents. Narrative analyses showed that emerging adults had a more mature perception of their relationship with their siblings. Unlike in adolescence, the quality of emerging adults’ relationships with their siblings was less related to their relationship with their parents. The results are discussed in the framework of changes in close relationships from adolescence to emerging adulthood.

Associations Between Sibling Relationship Quality and Friendship Quality in Early Adolescence: Looking at the Case of Twins

Bidirectional pathways between twin relationship quality and friendship quality were investigated in a large longitudinal twin cohort. We examined negative and positive relationship features in 313 monozygotic (MZ) twins and 238 same-sex dizygotic (DZ) twins from ages 13 to 14 years, using latent structural modeling. Results showed stronger stability of the twin relationship quality compared to friendship quality. Positive features in the sibling relationship were associated with increased positive features in the relationship with the best friend a year later. In contrast, no significant association between negative sibling relationship features and change in negative friendship quality features was found. These findings speak to the important role of the sibling relationship in the development of good quality friendship relations in twins.

Parent Psychopathology and Children's Psychological Health: Moderation by Sibling Relationship Dimensions

Offspring of anxious adults are at heightened risk for psychological maladjustment; however factors that protect youth in the context of this risk have been rarely explored. Supported by literature showing the meaningful role of sibling relationships for children's psychological outcomes, this study examined the protective role of the sibling relationship for children in the context of risk for psychological maladjustment due to having a parent with a clinical anxiety disorder. Participants were 81 children ages 7 to 12 years (58% female; 82 % Caucasian), and their parents. Parents met DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for a primary anxiety disorder, and youth did not meet diagnostic criteria for any psychiatric disorder. Parents completed questionnaires on their own psychological distress and use of parenting behaviors, and on their children's psychological adjustment. Children self-reported on the quality of their sibling relationship based on their closest-age sibling. Parenting behaviors were also coded based on a parent-child interaction task. Results of hierarchical regression models demonstrated that sibling relationship quality moderated the relation between parental psychological distress and child adjustment. Post-hoc simple slopes analyses showed that parental distress was significantly positively associated with greater child psychological problems only for children reporting low sibling companionship or high sibling conflict. Aspects of the sibling relationship did not moderate the association between self-rated or observer-rated parenting behaviors and child anxiety symptoms. Findings are consistent with developmental models and empirical literature emphasizing the protective role of sibling relationships for youth's psychological outcomes. Sibling relationships may be a salient target for youth psychological preventive or treatment interventions.

Aggression between siblings: Associations with the home environment and peer bullying

Sibling aggression is a common form of intra-familial aggression, yet has been largely neglected by research. Using an inclusive measure of sibling aggression, this study investigated, firstly, prevalence of sibling aggression and associations with family and household characteristics, and secondly, the relationship between sibling aggression and peer bullying. Participants were 4,237 adolescents from Wave 1 of Understanding Society. Four types of sibling aggression were measured: physical, verbal, stealing and teasing, and combined into composite measures of victimization and perpetration. Regression analysis identified associations with demographic characteristics, family and sibling composition, parent-child relationships and socioeconomic status and explored the link between sibling aggression and involvement in peer bullying. Using a broad definition, sibling aggression was found to be widespread, with 46% of all participants being victimized and 36% perpetrating aggression. Household and family characteristics, including a large family size, male siblings, and financial difficulties were associated with greater rates of sibling aggression. Parenting behavior showed the strongest relationship: harsh parenting increased the risk of sibling aggression while positive parenting protected against it. Sibling aggression was also homotypically related to involvement in peer bullying. Victimization by siblings significantly increased the odds of being a victim of peer bullying, and perpetrators of sibling aggression were more likely to be both peer bullies and bully-victims. Considering the adverse effects of sibling aggression on physical and mental health, the study provides pointers for efforts to reduce the risk of sibling aggression. Furthermore, the link with peer bullying suggests that school anti-bullying efforts should also take account of children's sibling relationships. Aggr. Behav. 41:14-24, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Listening to parents: the challenges of parenting kindergarten-aged children who are anxious

The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of the experience of parenting kindergarten-aged children who are anxious. Twenty-three in-depth interviews were conducted with parents of kindergarten-aged children who expressed interest in a parent-focused early intervention program for child anxiety offered in a local elementary school. Key concerns of the parents included their children's separation anxiety, social anxiety, and oppositional behaviour. The child's anxiety was identified as a stressor on the child, the parent, and the family. Parents utilized a range of parenting responses although they tended to be reactive and did not have a consistent strategy for managing the anxiety. A salient parenting struggle was whether or not to push the child to face challenging situations although there were few descriptions of overprotection or overcontrol. The findings suggest greater attention be given to the strengths of parents of children who are anxious and the ways in which parents may be a positive factor in mitigating the effects of child anxiety. Implications for intervention are discussed.

Coping of siblings of children with developmental disabilities in the Bedouin community

This is the first study that examines the coping of siblings of children with developmental disabilities in comparison with siblings of children without disabilities in the Bedouin community in Israel. For this purpose, the study examines the components of self-esteem, stress, and growth. Data were collected from 200 adolescents. The findings of this study show that siblings to children with developmental disabilities have a similar degree of self-esteem to those siblings to children without disabilities, whereas siblings to children with developmental disabilities have higher levels of stress perception and growth compared to siblings f children without developmental disabilities. In addition, a negative correlation was found between perception of stress and growth and a positive correlation between self-esteem and growth.

The relative contributions of parents and siblings to child and adolescent development

Guided by an ecological framework, we explore how siblings' and parents' roles, relationships, and activities are intertwined in everyday life, providing unique and combined contributions to development. In a departure from past research that emphasized the separate contributions of siblings and parents to individual development, we find that examining the conjoint or interactive effects of sibling and parent influences promises to extend our understanding of the role of family in children's and adolescents' social, emotional, and cognitive development. Understood within the context of family and sociocultural characteristics, siblings' unique roles as agents of socialization are illuminated.

Harnessing the power of sibling relationships as a tool for optimizing social-emotional development

Sibling relationships provide one of the most stable and powerful developmental contexts for the transmission of both prosocial and antisocial behavior. As a source of support and skill development, sibling relationships can build competence in self-regulation and emotional understanding. However, sibling relationships marked by antisocial behavior, substance use, and conflict place children at risk for a host of negative outcomes. Family relationship features, particularly parenting practices and discord, contribute strongly to both the quality of sibling relationships and children's well-being. Our review of intervention strategies reveals that the potential of sibling relationships to promote socioemotional development may be best realized through family-centered approaches that build prosocial sibling interactions, curtail child behavior problems, and strengthen parenting.

The development of an instrument to assess the unmet needs of young people who have a sibling with cancer: piloting the Sibling Cancer Needs Instrument (SCNI)

The psychosocial needs of young people (aged 12-24) who have a sibling with cancer are still comparatively underresearched and largely underserviced. Steps taken in the development of a needs-based measure, the Sibling Cancer Needs Instrument (SCNI), are presented, involving a qualitative exploration of needs (focus group with 4 young people, telephone interviews with 7 young people, and a staff survey) and a quantitative piloting of the resulting first version of the SCNI on 71 young people. Results are explored in relation to the 10 identified domains of need (information, peer support [friends], peer support [similar experience], sibling relationship/support, expressing/coping with feelings, access to support services, respite/recreation, acknowledgement/attention for self, instrumental support, and involvement in the cancer experience). The survey data showed that 75% of young people endorsed 10 or more needs, whereas 50% endorsed more than half of all 80 needs, and on average, participants reported 10 unmet needs. Correlations between needs and psychological distress scores are also explored. Initial reliability, and face and content validity for the SCNI encourage further development of the instrument to assist in better monitoring and to meet the various needs of this underserviced population.

Maternal differential treatment of siblings and children's behavioral problems: A longitudinal study

Researchers have examined links between maternal differential treatment of siblings and children's adjustment; however, little is known about the longitudinal nature of these associations. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between maternal differential treatment of the siblings, direct parenting of older siblings, and older siblings' behavior problems across middle childhood. Eighty-two families were interviewed twice in their homes when the siblings averaged 4.7 and 7.7 years of age and, again when they averaged 7.9 and 10.5 years of age. Mothers completed questionnaires about parenting and older siblings' adjustment during the summer after the older siblings' 7th and 11th birthdays. Teachers completed questionnaires about the older siblings' adjustment and returned them through the mail. There was significant stability in the mothers' reports of differential treatment and significant associations between mothers' reports of maternal differential discipline and differential attention and mothers' and teachers' reports of older siblings' externalizing problems across time. Direct parenting measures were not correlated with differential treatment or older siblings' behavior problems across time.

Family issues in child anxiety: attachment, family functioning, parental rearing and beliefs

Family studies have found a large overlap between anxiety disorders in family members. In addition to genetic heritability, a range of family factors may also be involved in the intergenerational transmission of anxiety. Evidence for a relationship between family factors and childhood as well as parental anxiety is reviewed. Four groups of family variables are considered: (I) attachment; (II), aspects of family functioning, such as marital conflict, co-parenting, functioning of the family as a whole, and sibling relationships; (III) parental rearing strategies; and (IV) beliefs that parents hold about their child. The reviewed literature provides evidence for an association between each of these family factors and child anxiety. However, there is little evidence as yet that identified family factors are specific to child anxiety, rather than to child psychopathology in general. Moreover, evidence for a relationship between child anxiety and family factors is predominantly cross-sectional. Therefore, whether the identified family factors cause childhood anxiety still needs to be investigated. Further research that investigates mechanisms mediating the relationship between family factors and child anxiety is also called for. Finally, parental beliefs are identified as important predictors of parental behaviour that have largely not been investigated in relation to child anxiety disorders.

Longitudinal associations between sibling relationship quality, parental differential treatment, and children's adjustment

This study examined associations between changes in sibling relationships and changes in parental differential treatment and corresponding changes in children's adjustment. One hundred thirty-three families were assessed at 3 time points. Parents rated children's externalizing problems, and children reported on sibling relationship quality, parental differential treatment, and depressive symptoms. On average, older siblings were 10, 12, and 16 years old, and younger siblings were 8, 10, and 14 years old at Waves 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Results from hierarchical linear modeling indicated that as sibling relationships improved over time, children's depressive symptoms decreased over time. In addition, as children were less favored over their siblings over time, children's externalizing problems increased over time. Findings highlight the developmental interplay between the sibling context and children's adjustment.

Sibling relationships in early/middle childhood: links with individual adjustment

The overarching goal of the study was to identify links between sibling relationship quality in early/middle childhood with children's adjustment, having accounted for the effects of parent-child relationship quality. The sample consisted of 101 working and middle-class 2-parent English families with 2 children ages 4-8 years. Parents provided reports of sibling relationship quality, the parent-child relationship, and the children's prosocial and problematic behaviors. The children also provided reports of their familial relationships with a puppet interview. Results indicated that sibling relationship quality was associated with the older siblings' adjustment, controlling for the children's relationships with parents. In addition, the pattern of findings suggested that positivity within the sibling relationship was more strongly linked with child adjustment than was sibling conflict.

Sibling relationship quality from birth to adolescence: the enduring contributions of friends

The purpose of the present study was to examine continuity in sibling relationships across childhood and to evaluate the degree to which children's experiences with their friends and mothers prior to their sibling's birth predict the quality of the relationship they establish with their siblings in adolescence. Twenty-eight firstborn children, who were 48 months old at the time of their sibling's birth, were observed interacting with their siblings and friends at multiple time points. The level of positive social behaviors demonstrated in their early relationships with friends continued to predict sibling relationship quality in adolescence. Firstborn children who had more positive interactions with friends prior to their sibling's birth demonstrated more prosocial interactions with both their siblings and friends in adolescence and exhibited fewer externalizing behaviors. Longitudinal associations support the hypothesis that the social competencies that young children demonstrate in their early relationships with friends may have enduring significance for their social development.

Do risk factors for problem behaviour act in a cumulative manner? An examination of ethnic minority and majority children through an ecological perspective

BACKGROUND

Extensive research has identified risk factors for problem behaviour in childhood. However, most of this research has focused on isolated variables, ignoring possible additive influences. The purpose of this study was to examine whether risk factors for problem behaviour act in a cumulative manner, and to investigate whether cumulative risk stemming from distinct ecological levels (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) differentially influences the manifestation of problem behaviours in middle childhood. In addition, ethnic differences between minority (i.e., Indian) and majority (i.e., English) families were examined.

METHODS

The sample consisted of 125 children (59 English and 66 of Indian origin) between the ages of 7 and 9.6 (M = 8.51, SD = 0.62) and their parents. Both mothers and fathers completed questionnaires regarding the children's problem behaviour and provided reports of the children's characteristics and environment. Children were also assessed and provided reports about themselves and their relationships. Finally, parent-child mutuality and parenting behaviour were coded from a videotaped parent-child interaction task.

RESULTS

Risk factors acted in a cumulative manner - the more risk children experienced, the more problem behaviour they exhibited. Total problem behaviour was predicted by all three levels: individual, microsystem and exosystem. However, externalising problems were mainly predicted by microsystem-level cumulative risk, whereas internalising problems were predicted by both individual-level cumulative risk and exosystem-level cumulative risk. These results were similar for both ethnic groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The support for the cumulative hypothesis highlights the importance of having a broad picture of children's characteristics and environmental components when analysing children's adjustment. The distinct influence of risk stemming from the different ecological levels suggests that the trajectories of internalising, externalising and total problem behaviour may be different.

Sibling relationships of anxiety disordered children--a research note

There is a paucity of knowledge on the role of sibling relationships in internalizing disorders. Research in nonclinical populations suggests an association between internalizing problems in children and negative sibling interactions. Further, an association is reported between internalizing problems and actual or perceived parental differential treatment. This study examines sibling relationship qualities and perceived parental differential treatment in a clinical sample. Participants included 24 anxiety disordered children (ages 8-13 years) and 25 nondisordered control children (ages 7-13 years). Anxiety disordered and nondisordered children do not differ with regard to perceived affection or hostility from a sibling. Anxiety disordered children, however, report significantly more parental differential treatment than do nondisordered children.

Do sibling and friend relationships share the same temperamental origins? A twin study

BACKGROUND

Friendship and sibling relationships differ in that there is an element of choice in friendships, whilst the latter represent a fixed and given relationship. The present study set out to investigate the temperamental correlates of friendships and sibling relationships, as well as to examine their genetic and environmental components.

METHOD

Two hundred and twelve same-sex twin-pairs (102 MZ and 110 DZ; 104 male pairs and 108 female pairs) aged between 12 and 15, together with their parents, comprised the sample. The twins themselves reported on both negative and positive aspects of the two relationships, and all family members provided reports of the twins' temperament (mothers, fathers, and adolescent self-reports).

RESULTS

Analyses revealed that negative aspects of both the sibling relationship and friendship were related to emotionality, while the positive aspects of these relationships were associated with sociability and activity. Genetic influences and the shared environment accounted for variance seen in the sibling relationship. In addition, nonshared environment accounted for a moderate amount of the sibling relationship variability and explained most of the variance for the friendship components. Finally, bivariate analyses of the covariance between temperament and close relationships highlighted the importance of nonshared environmental influences during adolescence.

CONCLUSION

Three themes emerged. First, congruent temperamental expressions were seen across these two relationships' contexts. Second, friendship and the sibling relationship have distinct etiological profiles, indicating the child-specific character of adolescent friendships versus the reciprocal nature of the sibling relationship. Finally, the common influences to temperament and relationship quality provided evidence for the validity of adolescents' unique, nonshared experiences.

Impact on the family: psychosocial adjustment of siblings of children who survive serious burns

This study examined the psychosocial adjustment of 79 siblings of children suffering from burn injuries. Nonparametric statistics were used to compare psychosocial adjustment of the study group, as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist with an age-matched and gender-matched reference groups. Analyses found that the study group was better adjusted than the normative group on psychological dimensions; however, the study group fared worse than the normative group on overall competence, particularly social competence. Further analyses found significant differences in sibling adjustment as a function of the severity of the burn injury. The siblings of children with moderate burn injuries did significantly better on psychological adjustment than the normative group, and siblings of children with moderate and severe burn injuries did significantly poorer on social competence. Descriptive analysis of measures developed for the study for parent and sibling reports supported findings of the Child Behavior Checklist quantitative analysis and offered insight into reasons for findings. Results indicate that the burn injury to one child in a family significantly impacts the siblings of that child. The noninjured child may be strengthened in the process of adapting to the changes imposed on the family, but it is also possible that the sibling's growth in one dimension is at the cost of success in another dimension.

Sibling relationships of anxious children: a preliminary investigation

Examined the sibling relationships of anxious children and nonclinic controls using both self-report and observational coding. Thirty-six clinically anxious and 15 control sibling pairs completed the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ) and participated in two 5-min sibling discussion tasks. Discriminant analyses were used to predict group membership using the SRQ factor scores of Warmth/Closeness, Conflict and Status/Power, and the coded dimensions of Warmth, Hostility, Control of Sibling, and Task Maintenance. Compared to control children, the sibling interactions of anxious children were characterized by higher levels of self-reported conflict, more observed control by both children, and less observed warmth from the target child. Findings highlight the need for further research into sibling relationships for anxious children.

Sibling conflict in middle childhood predicts children's adjustment in early adolescence

Associations between sibling conflict in middle childhood and psychological adjustment in early adolescence were studied in a sample of 80 boys and 56 girls. Parents and children provided self-report data about family relationships and children's adjustment. Parents' hostility to children was assessed from videotaped interactions. Results showed that sibling conflict at Time 1 predicted increases in children's anxiety, depressed mood, and delinquent behavior 2 years later. Moreover, earlier sibling conflict at Time 1 accounted for unique variance in young adolescents' Time 2 anxiety, depressed mood, and delinquent behavior above and beyond the variance explained by earlier maternal hostility and marital conflict. Children's adjustment at Time 1 did not predict sibling conflict at Time 2. Results highlight the unique significance of the earlier sibling relationship for young adolescents' psychological adjustment.

An initial look at sibling reports on children's behavior: comparisons with children's self-reports and relations with siblings' self-reports and sibling relationships

The authors examined siblings' reports of children's depression, anxiety, and aggression, and their reports of the sibling relationship, and compared them with children's self-reports. In two samples, including 169 sibling pairs (age M = 9.98 years, SD = 1.51), no significant differences emerged in the levels of depression and anxiety found in siblings' reports of children's behavior and children's self-reports, although siblings reported children to have significantly higher levels of aggression than the children self-reported. Age, the difference in ages between siblings, sex, and sibling sex were not related to siblings' reports of children's behavior. The relations between children's and siblings' reports of children's behavior were significant, yet moderate (average r = .22). Both siblings' self-reports of internalizing behavior and their perceptions of aspects of the sibling relationship (affection, rivalry, hostility, and satisfaction with the sibling relationship) explained significant, and unique, variance in siblings' reports of children's internalizing behavior. The findings for aggressive behavior were similar, although siblings' perceptions of affection in the sibling relationship were not significantly related to their reports of children's aggression. The potential uses and benefits of sibling reports of children's behavior, and sibling and family relationships, are discussed.

Sibling accounts of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

The goal of this research was to generate a description of how siblings in families with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children experienced and lived with this chronic behavioral disorder. Interview and diary data from 11 families (N = 43) were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Data analysis revealed that siblings felt victimized by their ADHD sibling and that their experience of victimization was often minimized or overlooked in the family. Findings suggest that there is a need for increased social and mental health services for all members of the family over the course of the disorder, and that the effects on siblings, in particular, can be potentially quite deleterious to their health and well-being.

Sibling relationship quality: its causes and consequences

Current work on children's individual characteristics and family processes that contribute to variation in sibling relationship quality is reviewed. Findings from these studies are summarized in a heuristic model that specifies hypothesized links among family processes, intrapersonal characteristics, and variations in sibling relationship quality. The model is designed to provide researchers with a host of hypotheses to test and refine in future studies. The contributions that sibling relationships may make to cognitive and psychosocial development are then reviewed, with a suggestion that sibling relationships comprised of a balance of both prosocial and conflicted interactions create experiences that are most likely to nurture children's social, cognitive, and psychosocial development.

A preliminary description of nonschool-based friendship in young high-risk children

This study explored friendships in a sample of 51 high-risk preschool-aged children. Thirty-eight children were placed in foster care (25 placed with their siblings and 13 separated from their siblings). Thirteen children, receiving preventive services, were living at home with their biological parents and siblings. Chi-square, ANOVA, and paired t-tests were used to test for between-group and within-subject differences in the target children's friendships. The results demonstrated that the majority of the high-risk children had a ''best friend." However, the foster children all had friends who could be described as quasi-siblings. The results suggest that foster care placement and the presence of siblings may influence the nature of a child's interactions with nonrelated peers.