“If your relationship is a swamp, your sister is like a hand that pulls you out of it”: Sisterhood as a source of support on relationship issues and dating violence

Abstract

Informal support systems play a crucial role in navigating romantic relations and coping with dating violence (DV), especially in emerging adulthood. Although research indicates that sisters can be an important source of such support, the question of how they communicate and assist each other on relationship issues and violence remains largely unexplored. The present qualitative study, adopting an ecological systems perspective, investigated what roles sisters play in each other’s dating experiences in Turkiye, a traditional and patriarchal sociocultural context with gradually increasing awareness about DV and gender equality among emerging adults. The sample consisted of 5 sister dyads aged 20–25. Data was collected through dyadic interviews and analyzed with an inductive thematic analysis approach. The dyads’ descriptions were categorized under two main themes: (a) protection from boundary violations and violence and (b) co-regulation and guidance in relationship management. The protective role of sisters entailed reminding each other of healthy boundaries and self-worth, checking for safety and warning signs, and showing solidarity. On the other hand, the regulatory role of sisters involved seeking and giving advice on conflict resolution, accompanying negative emotions, and coping with a breakup together. The findings demonstrate that sisters can become an essential source of support in the context of parental disapproval and limited communication about dating at the microsystem level and changing gender norms and socialization, along with the prevalence of gender-based violence at the macrosystem level. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of effective support processes in sisterhood and informal help-seeking for relationship issues and violence from a contextual and developmental lens. The findings point to the need to expand family-based DV prevention programs exclusively targeting parents.