The Development of Aggression within Sibling Conflict

Abstract

Sibling physical aggression and parents' and children's responses to such aggression were observed in 40 families when children were approximately 2% and 4% years of age, and two years later when they were 4% and 6%. Aggression occurred in all families, with first-born siblings being more aggressive than second-borns, and second-born siblings being more likely to cry, especially at the first time period. Parents responded to half of their children's aggression, and were more likely to respond if victims had cried. Only when parents intervened did the conflict resolution indicate to the children that physical aggression was not acceptable. Most responses by both parents and child victims were simple commands to stop aggression, and discussion of issues that gave rise to the aggression. Less frequent parent and child responses, such as physical reactions or approval of aggression by parents, and discussions of feelings or rules, or crying by first-born children were related to only the aggression of second-born siblings at Time 1. Furthermore, the only variables that predicted aggression at Time 2 were the levels of aggression that the children exhibited at Time 1, with relatively aggressive first-born children and relatively unaggressive second-born children predicting higher levels of sibling aggression two years later. Results were discussed in terms of family influences in the development of relatively aggressive or unaggressive sibling relationships over time.

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