Half‐Sibling and Stepsibling Relationships: A Systematic Integrative Review

Abstract

Increases in divorce, remarriage, and stepfamily formation have added complexity to sibling composition. Biological siblings have been found to be key players in children's lives, and relationships with half and stepsiblings also likely influence individual development and adjustment. In this systematic integrative review, we synthesize and critique 46 studies on half and stepsibling relationships, a literature that has seen marked growth in recent years. Researchers have focused predominately on two areas: individual outcomes associated with having half or stepsiblings and predictors of half and stepsibling relationship quality. Although research designs have become more methodologically sophisticated, deficit-comparison studies in which half and stepsiblings are compared to siblings in nuclear families remain common. We discuss challenges in studying sibling complexity and propose opportunities for examining how half and stepsibling relationships may contribute to individual and family resilience.Increases in divorce, cohabitation, and remarriage have led to greater complexity of sibling compositions in families. In a recent nationwide survey, three in 10 American adults reported having a half or stepsibling, a number that was 314 Gentry Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 (cms4qc@mail.missouri.edu).

Sibling Relationships in Adulthood: Research Findings and New Frontiers

“…How do adult siblings navigate care of an older stepparent? An established body of scholarship has examined stepfamilies earlier in the life course (Ganong & Coleman, 2018; Sanner, Russell, Coleman, & Ganong, 2018); however, less attention has been directed toward understanding stepfamily formation and maintenance among later‐life families.…”

Shared Children in Stepfamilies: Experiences Living in a Hybrid Family Structure

“…Although less is known about half-sibling relationships compared with full-sibling relationships, research on this topic is growing. In a systematic integrative review of research on half-and stepsiblings, Sanner, Russell, Coleman, and Ganong (2018) found that the research suggests small but consistent deficits associated with the presence of half-siblings in the household-lower parental involvement, educational achievement, and economic well-being (Brown, Manning, & Stykes, 2015;Ginther & Pollak, 2004;Halpern-Meekin & Tach, 2008;Strow & Strow, 2008;Turunen, 2014); more antisocial behavior, depressive symptoms, and parent-child conflict (Apel & Kaukinen, 2008;Fomby, Goode, & Mollborn, 2016;Halpern-Meekin & Tach, 2008;Harcourt et al, 2015;Schlomer, Ellis, & Garber, 2010;Strow & Strow, 2008); increased risk of family dissolution (Jensen & Clausen, 2003); early exit from the parental home (Aquilino, 1991); and more frequent unintentional childhood injuries (Tanskanen, Danielsbacka, & Rotkirch, 2015).…”

Complex families and health complaints among adolescents: A population-based cross-sectional study

“…Whereas biological siblings may promote a sense of continuity and shared experience during family reorganization [20], the introduction of half- and stepsiblings may make it harder to define belongingness to the family after the divorce [21]. Studies focusing on siblings tend to find small but rather consistent negative effects of living with half- or stepsiblings on outcomes such as depressive symptoms and physical well-being, although youth may also report such relationships as a resource following parental divorce [22].…”

“…The impact of family complexity may, however, be gender-dependent. Girls have been found to report worse relationships with stepsiblings than boys [22], and a recent study found higher levels of internalizing problems among girls but not among boys living with nonbiological siblings [25]. Few studies have, however, examined such gender-specific effects.…”