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Are sibling relationships protective? A longitudinal study.
Krista Gass1, Jennifer Jenkins, Judy Dunn
1Human Development and Applied Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines
|February 16, 2007
Summary
Positive sibling relationships buffer children against stress. Sibling affection protects against internalizing symptoms, even when the mother-child relationship is strained, highlighting sibling support
Area of Science:
- Child psychology
- Developmental psychology
- Family dynamics
Background:
- Familial and parental support extensively studied in child psychopathology.
- Limited research on the protective role of positive sibling relationships.
- Need to understand diverse sources of social support for children.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine the protective effect of positive sibling relationships.
- Investigate the impact on child adjustment during stressful life events.
- Assess if sibling affection moderates the effects of stress on children.
Main Methods:
- Two-wave longitudinal study design.
- Mothers reported on stressful life events and child adjustment.
- Older siblings assessed the quality of their relationship with target children.
Main Results:
- Sibling affection significantly moderated the link between stressful life events and internalizing symptoms.
- No significant moderation found for externalizing symptoms.
- Protective effect of sibling affection was independent of mother-child relationship quality.
Conclusions:
- Positive sibling relationships offer crucial support for children facing adversity.
- Sibling affection acts as a buffer against internalizing symptomatology.
- Findings suggest implications for therapeutic interventions focusing on sibling dynamics.
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