Sexual behavior and nonsexual deviance: A sibling study of their relationship.

Analyzed the correlation of nonsexual deviance and physical, sexual behavior using a sibling design. Hypothesized that both types of behavior are partly determined by a latent trait of deviance proneness, d. In two separate studies—one based on an Oklahoma dataset of college students and their siblings, and the other, on the Adolescent Sexuality Project ({adsex}) dataset of high-school students and their siblings in Tallahassee, Florida—found a strong relationship between relatively early sexual intimacy and nonsexual forms of deviance. Siblings were more alike than chance in deviance and in physical sexual behavior. Most critical for the model, there was also an association between one sibling's sexual intimacy with a partner and the other's deviance. Using {lisrel}, tested the latent-trait model statistically and accepted it as consistent with the obtained correlations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The consequences of antisocial behavior in older male siblings for younger brothers and sisters.

The contribution of younger male and female siblings' conflict and involvement in deviant activities with their older brothers to younger siblings' adolescent adjustment problems was examined in the context of parenting. Ineffective parenting during younger siblings' childhood had no direct effects on adjustment but facilitated their exposure to older brothers' deviant peers and activities. The effect of sibling conflict on adjustment was mediated by younger siblings' coparticipation in deviant activities with their older brothers during adolescence. Early sibling conflict and coparticipation in deviant activities synergistically increased the risk for younger siblings' adolescent adjustment problems. These empirical relations held in the context of parental discipline of younger siblings during adolescence. Sibling relationships entail a set of iterative social processes that strongly influence risk for adolescent antisocial behavior, drug use, sexual behavior, and traumatic experience. Variations in sibling influence were observed conditional on the gender combination of the sibling pair and on sibling age differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conditions of sibling support in adolescence.

This study examined the nature and extent of adolescent siblings' supportive roles and the conditions under which siblings provide support to one another about familial and nonfamilial issues. Data were collected from 185 adolescent firstborn (M age?=?16 years) and secondborn (M age?=?13 years) sibling pairs. In home interviews, siblings reported on family experiences and psychosocial functioning during the past year. In a series of 7 evening telephone interviews, siblings reported on their shared daily activities. Findings suggested that both older and younger siblings view older siblings as sources of support about nonfamilial issues such as social and scholastic activities and that siblings assume equally supportive roles about familial issues. Further, the results suggested that family background characteristics, sibling relationship qualities, and adolescents' psychosocial functioning were linked to the nature and extent of sibling support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sibling relationship, family, and genetic factors in sibling similarity in sexual risk.

Siblings’ risky attitudes toward sex and pregnancy and risky sexual behavior were studied in 1583 dyads from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. We tested moderators of the links between 2 siblings’ reports of sexual risk as well as mediators of the links between siblings’ genetic similarity and similarity in their sexual risk. Siblings’ sexual risk reports were correlated, and consistent with social learning predictions, associations were stronger between siblings with close relationships and in same-gender dyads and, to a lesser extent, between more genetically similar siblings and those closer in age. Consistent with behavior genetics’ hypotheses about gene–environment correlations, similarity in family warmth and sibling relationship closeness mediated associations between siblings’ genetic similarity and similarity in their sexual risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does stress exacerbate parental differential treatment of siblings? A pattern-analytic approach.

To develop a typology based on family members' perspectives on parental differential treatment of siblings, data from mothers, fathers, firstborn adolescent siblings (M?=?15 years), and second-born adolescent siblings (M?=?12.5 years) from 187 families were submitted to cluster analysis. A 4-cluster solution based on the convergence or divergence of reports and the levels of parental differential treatment was identified and replicated: convergent/all below average (n?=?94), convergent/all above average (n?=?48), divergent/all below average except older sibling (n?=?20), and divergent/all above average except mother (n?=?25). Analyses revealed cluster differences in family structure (e.g., sex of siblings, age spacing) and in parents' perceived levels of stress across several domains (e.g., work, marriage, and individual mental health). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in adolescent sexual attitudes: the influence of individual and family factors

The present study, continuing a recent trend, examined multiple influences on adolescent sexuality, focusing on sexual attitudes because of their influence on sexual behavior. Empirical analyses were based on a nonrandom availability sample of 1,587 public high school students and 1,372 parents. Multiple regression analyses were conducted in three phases to elaborate models for adolescent attitudes about premarital sexual intercourse; separate models were developed for females and males. First, a regression model was developed that featured individual adolescent characteristics (e.g., age, gender, locus of control, self-esteem, and religious participation) as predictor variables. A second regression model was developed that included family characteristics (e.g., number of siblings, number of parents in home, communication with mother and father, family strengths, parent contribution to sexuality education, parental discussion of sexual values, and the sexual attitudes of mother and father). In the final step, multiple regression was conducted on both individual and family factors. Results indicated that (1) the integrated model had more explanatory power than either separate model, and (2) females were influenced by more family factors and males were influenced by more individual factors.     

Differential association of family subsystem negativity on siblings' maladjustment: using behavior genetic methods to test process theory.

This study investigated the family context of adolescent sibling similarity and differentiation in maladjustment (antisocial behavior and depression) by examining negativity in different subsystems. Two hypotheses were proposed: (1) Parental and sibling negativity tends to diffuse through the family system, especially because of the high level of reciprocity in sibling relationships, leading to sibling similarity; and (2) interparental (coparenting) conflict disrupts cohesive functioning and thereby motivates and facilitates sibling differentiation and niche picking. To control for the effects of similar genes between siblings, the authors used behavioral genetic models with a genetically informed sample of 720 two-parent families, each with at least 2 adolescent siblings. Results for the differences in shared environmental influences across groups high and low in each of the domains of family negativity provided partial support for the hypotheses. The results further understanding of influences on individual differences and support a theory of how parent-child and interparental relationships intersect with sibling relationship dynamics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal pathways linking family factors and sibling relationship qualities to adolescent substance use and sexual risk behaviors.

This 3-wave, 5-year longitudinal study tested the contributions of family contextual factors and sibling relationship qualities to younger siblings' substance use, sexual risk behaviors, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted disease. More than 220 non-White families participated (67% Latino and 33% African American), all of which involved a younger sibling (133 girls and 89 boys; mean age=13.6 years at Time 1) and an older sister (mean age=17 years at Time 1). Results from structural equation latent growth curve modeling indicated that qualities of the sibling relationship (high older sister power, low warmth/closeness, and low conflict) mediated effects from several family risks (mothers' single parenting, older sisters' teen parenting, and family's receipt of aid) to younger sibling outcomes. Model results were generally stronger for sister-sister pairs than for sister-brother pairs. Findings add to theoretical models that emphasize the role of family and parenting processes in shaping sibling relationships, which, in turn, influence adolescent outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health risk behaviors of adolescent and young adult siblings.

The present study tested the effects of older siblings' outcome expectancies, health risk behaviors, and consequences on the behavior and health-related expectancies of their younger adolescent siblings. Data were analyzed for 140 matched pairs of younger (n?=?147) and older (n?=?195) siblings. Younger siblings' alcohol use and expectancies were significantly associated with perceptions of their older siblings' drinking. Younger siblings' positive expectancies for other health risk behaviors (e.g., sex without a condom) were associated with their perceptions about the positive consequences their older sibling had experienced and with their older siblings' positive expectancies. These results suggest that vicarious learning from an older sibling is one mechanism through which adolescents form expectancies about health risk behaviors. Prevention strategies are discussed that focus on expectancies and older sibling influence on adolescent involvement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child temperaments, maternal differential behavior, and sibling relationships.

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the influence of two nonshared family environmental components—maternal differential behavior and sibling temperaments—on the sibling relationship of school-age children. Forty mothers and their same-sex children (20 pairs of boys and 20 pairs of girls) participated. In order to examine the associations of temperament and maternal differential behavior with the quality of sibling interactions, mothers were observed in triadic interactions with their two children. On a separate occasion the sibling dyad was observed interacting in the same contexts. The mothers also provided temperament ratings of each of their children's levels of activity, emotional intensity, and persistence. The results indicated that high activity, high emotional intensity, and low persistence levels in both older and younger children were associated with increased agonism between sisters, whereas high activity and low persistence levels for younger brothers were associated with more agonistic behavior among brothers. An imbalance of maternal behavior that favored the younger child was generally associated with lower rates of verbalizations and prosocial and agonistic behavior directed by siblings to one another. The observations of the mother–sibling triadic and sibling dyadic interactions also revealed consistency in the within-family environments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sibling relationship quality and adolescent delinquency: A latent growth curve approach.

The present study examined whether level and changes in sibling relationship quality and older sibling delinquency are related to level and changes in younger sibling delinquency, for brother, sister, older brother/younger sister and older sister/younger brother sibling pairs. Questionnaire data were collected from 249 Dutch sibling pairs (11–15 years old) over a period of three years, with annual measurements. Results showed that level and over-time changes in sibling relationship quality and older and younger sibling delinquency were significantly different for the four sibling gender combinations. Results of multivariate growth curve modeling showed that sibling relationship quality was related to delinquency of older siblings (but not younger siblings), and delinquency of older siblings was associated with younger sibling delinquency two years later. We also found differences between the four sibling gender combinations. For example, for brother and sister pairs (but not mixed-sex sibling pairs), over-time changes in older sibling delinquency were related to younger sibling delinquency two years later as well as the change pattern in younger sibling delinquency over time. Strengths, limitations and possible implications for research and intervention of adolescent delinquency are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescents' relationships to siblings and mothers: A multivariate genetic analysis.

Research has consistently demonstrated that children's behavior toward their siblings tends to resemble interactions occurring in the parent–child relationship. This study examined the relative contributions of genetic and environmental influences to the covariation between sibling relationships and mother–adolescent relationships. Reported and observed family interactions were assessed for 719 same-sex sibling pairs of varying degrees of genetic relatedness. The covariance between mother–adolescent and sibling interactions was decomposed into genetic, shared, and nonshared environmental components. The overlapping effects of shared environment on the two relationship subsystems explained most of the covariance. Smaller but significant genetic and nonshared environmental effects were also found. The consistency of these findings with family processes, such as modeling, is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exploring differences in youth and parent reports of antisociality among adolescent sexual and nonsexual offenders.

This study examined the extent of, and explored several possible explanations for, the discrepancies found between adolescent and parent reports of conduct problems in adolescent sexual and nonsexual offenders. We found that adolescent sexual offenders scored lower on measures of conduct problems than did nonsexual offenders, whether on the basis of adolescent or parent report, though the difference was much larger for parent reports. Examining this discrepancy more closely, we found that parents of sexual offenders reported less antisocial behavior than did their sons, whereas parents of nonsexual offenders reported more antisocial behavior than did their sons. The same pattern of results was obtained for reports on impulsivity, but much less so with respect to antisocial personality traits such as narcissism and callousness. Measures of family functioning were generally not related to these parent–adolescent discrepancies in reports of conduct problems, but these discrepancies were positively correlated with parental reports of stress. The implications of these findings for the interpretation of research on adolescent sexual offenders and comparisons of sexual and nonsexual offenders are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Older siblings benefit from a family-based preventive intervention for preschoolers at risk for conduct problems.

This study evaluated sibling effects of a family-based intervention aimed at preventing conduct problems in preschool-age siblings of adjudicated youths. Ninety-two families of preschoolers who had older siblings adjudicated for delinquent acts were randomly assigned to intervention and control conditions. Of these, 47 families had nontargeted school-age (5-11 years) or adolescent siblings (12-17 years) living at home. These families were considered in this report. The authors hypothesized group differences on antisocial behavior and positive peer relations for older siblings of targeted preschoolers. The authors examined outcomes of parent- and teacher-reported behavior immediately postintervention and 8 months postintervention. Findings revealed significant intervention effects 8 months following intervention for adolescent siblings on parent-reported antisocial behavior and positive peer relations. Teacher reports confirmed group differences for antisocial behavior immediately postintervention. Findings document benefits for adolescent siblings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of mother and older sibling on the problem-solving behavior of the younger child.

Determined the effects of aid from mother or older sibling on the child's problem-solving behavior in relation to the sex of the 2 siblings and family size. Ss were 120 1st-grade children with a 3rd- or 4th-grade sibling, half from 2-child families and half from larger families; the 4 possible sex combinations were equally represented. Ss worked on practice problems alone or were aided by sibling or mother prior to testing. Ss with older brothers performed as well alone as after aid by sibling or mother, whereas Ss with older sisters showed more advanced problem solving after aid by sibling or mother. Ss with same-sex siblings solved the problems more rapidly; family size had no effect. Results are interpreted in terms of family interaction patterns. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Repeated neonatal deaths in families with special reference to causes of death

It is recognized that one infant death in a family indicates an increased risk of death of a subsequent sibling. This study examines which cause of death of a sibling is related to the mortality of the younger sibling and when. Longitudinal vital events data from the maternal and child health and family planning (MCH-FP) project and the comparison areas in Matlab, Bangladesh, were used. Primary causes of 868 neonatal deaths and 624 post-neonatal deaths resulting from 18,865 singleton live births in 1989-92 and those (967 as neonates and 708 as post-neonates) of their immediate elder siblings were categorised into infectious and non-infectious diseases. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the risk of younger siblings dying in each age period from infectious and non-infectious diseases given the age and cause of deaths of older siblings and controlling for other biosocial correlates of infant mortality. A neonatal death of non-infectious causes in a family was twice as likely to be followed by another one occurring at the same age from similar causes compared with a surviving infant followed by a neonatal death from non-infectious causes. The MCH-FP project, though successful in reducing the risk of neonatal and post-neonatal mortality from infectious diseases, did not reduce the risk of dying from non-infectious diseases.     

Parent ratings of EAS temperaments in twins, full siblings, half siblings, and step siblings.

A twin/family design was used to explore genetic contributions to personality; to evaluate whether twins and nontwins yield different genetic results; and to test for the presence of contrast effects, the tendency of a rater to contrast one sibling with the other, thereby magnifying existing behavioral differences. The sample consisted of 708 adolescent same-sex sibling pairs from 10 to 18 years of age. Pairs included identical (monozygotic; MZ) and fraternal (dizygotic; DZ) twins, and full siblings in nondivorced families; and full, half, and unrelated siblings in stepfamilies. Mothers and fathers rated the temperament of their children on the EAS Temperament Survey (A. H. Buss & R. Plomin, 1984). Model-fitting analyses revealed significant genetic infiuences on each of the four EAS dimensions; however, for some dimensions, heritability estimates were significantly greater for twins than for nontwins. Overall, the data were best described by a sibling interaction model, which indicated significant contrast effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of parents and older siblings in predicting adolescent substance use: Modeling development via structural equation latent growth methodology.

Using latent growth curve methodology, this study investigated developmental trends in adolescent, parent, and older sibling substance use across a 3-year period and the predictive effect of these trends on adolescent substance use 2 years later. Participants were 101 adolescents (50 boys and 51 girls) who were an average of 12.34 years old at the first assessment, their parents, and an older sibling. Results indicate that although both parents and siblings contribute to the level of adolescent use, only siblings appear to contribute to the adolescents' subsequent substance use development. The adolescents' developmental trajectory was the best predictor of later use, but siblings contributed to later use indirectly through their influence on adolescents' substance use development. Findings discuss the role of sibling and parent substance use on adolescent substance use and emphasize the utility of latent growth modeling in the study of developmental change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mothers' perceptions of sibling adjustment and family life in childhood chronic illness

Researchers who study the effects of chronic illness on well siblings have generally focused on individual characteristics and their relationships with psychological adjustment. More recently, researchers suggest that sibling adjustment can be best understood within the context of the family. The purpose of this study was to examine variations in sibling behavioral adjustment in relation to mothers' perceptions of the illness experience and family life. Based on mothers' ratings on the behavior problem scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), five siblings considered poorly adjusted and five very well-adjusted siblings were compared with respect to mothers' reports of individual family member's response to illness, illness management, parenting philosophy, presence of other stressors, availability of social supports, and impact of illness on family members and family life. Two major differences were found between mothers who rated healthy siblings either poorly or very well adjusted: (a) effects of illness on the healthy sibling, the ill child, and the marital relationship and (b) perceived controllability of the chronic illness. Devising ways of helping mothers feel confident in managing their child's illness is integral to creating an environment that promotes optimal development of their ill child and the child's siblings.     

Genetic and environmental influences on maternal and sibling interaction in middle childhood: A sibling adoption study.

Genetic and environmental influences on maternal and sibling interactions were examined in 67 mother–child–child triads from nonadoptive families and 57 mother–child–child triads from adoptive families (in which both children were adopted and genetically unrelated). Triads were videotaped in 6 play settings in their homes. In addition, each sibling pair was observed in an unstructured setting in the home, and mothers completed an interview about the sibling relationship. Genetic influence was found for individual differences in sibling interactions (competition and positive and negative behavior) and maternal interactions with siblings (maternal attention and control); shared environmental factors were also important. No evidence was found for mean differences between the adoptive and nonadoptive families that could be due to genetic influence; family constellation factors also were not important. Results are discussed with respect to genetic influences on family interactions and relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)