Sibling Rivalry Breeds Distrust And Jealousy

Kids

oi-Cara

By Cara

Wednesday, April 7, 2010, 12:31

You must have seen siblings fighting over trivial issues like picking up clothes, eating the larger share of cake etc. However, a recent study has said that certain types of fights, no matter how innocent they seem to be, can affect the quality of sibling relationships.

University of Missouri researchers identified two major types of conflict among adolescent siblings and found that conflicts about personal space have a negative impact on trust and communication.

The first conflict area includes issues about physical and emotional personal space, such as borrowing items without asking and hanging around when your sibling's friends. When such issues creep up, both younger and older siblings are likely to have less trust and communication.

The second area of conflict includes issues related to equality and power. If one is more beautiful or dominating, the other starts feeling jealous. In such cases parents should encourage them to take turns to share responsibilities. They should be treated in such a way that both feel equally important.

The findings of the study can help parents, psychologists and other individuals who work with teens understand the possible consequences of sibling rivalry. Researchers have suggested that parents should set up family boundaries to reduce sibling conflicts.

Parents need to establish and enforce family rules about respecting privacy, personal space and property. However, when sibling conflicts occur, there needs to be negotiations between siblings.