Children’s Perceptions of Sibling Conflict During Middle Childhood: Issues and Sibling (Dis)similarity

Abstract

This study focused on the content (rather than the frequency) of sibling conflict, conflict initiation, and conflict resolution during middle childhood. Sibling similarity and heritability of children’s perceptions of sibling conflict were also examined. One hundred and eight school‐aged sibling pairs were interviewed using a semi‐structured interview format (average ages were 11.1 years and 8.2 years, respectively). Children’s responses were coded using 16 categories extracted from the literature and interviews. Results showed that descriptions of disagreements revolved around issues between the siblings (e.g., sharing personal possessions and physical aggression) rather than parental favoritism. Parental intervention, on the other hand, was cited as the most common outcome. Children in the same family rarely mentioned the same issues and only six out of 16 of the topics showed a pattern suggesting heritability. The importance of the school‐aged sibling relationship to children’s sense of self, personal rights, and social understanding is discussed.

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