Parenting programs to improve sibling interactions: A meta-analysis.

Abstract

Sibling relationships have a profound and lasting impact on children's development and parents often seek for ways to optimize them. Programs to guide parents in efforts to improve sibling interactions draw from different perspectives (mainly behavior management and mediation) and advise the use of different techniques (mainly direct children's behavior using reinforcement practices or maintain impartiality and facilitate communication). We systematically searched PsycINFO and MEDLINE for randomized evaluations of parenting programs to improve sibling interactions, to estimate their effects on sibling interactions, and identified eight studies (136 effect sizes): four evaluations of behavior management, three evaluations of mediation; and one evaluation of behavior management combined with mediation. The overall effect of the programs on sibling interactions was substantial (d = 0.85, 95% [CI 0.27, 1.43]). Subgroup analyses of more specific outcomes (i.e., positive versus negative interactions, and communication skills, problem solving skills, and aggression) suggested substantial but imprecisely estimated and heterogeneous effects.Evidence for the superiority of either approach (behavior management or mediation) was unsystematic. Our findings indicate that the parenting program literature for sibling interactions is relatively immature in terms of the number, size, and robustness of studiessubstantially lagging behind that of other family interventions. Available studies suggest promising effects, but their small numbers and ample heterogeneity result in imprecise estimations. We call for a more systematic body of evidence to understand the promise and boundary effects of the various parenting program approaches for improving sibling interactions.

Childhood exposure to family violence and adult sibling relationships

“…Concerning the long‐term effects on adult sibling relationships, intersibling violence itself, without exposure to parental violence, may undermine the emotional aspects of adult sibling relationships (i.e., perceived closeness, similarity in values). Plausible alternative explanations, such as intensive sibling rivalry or parental favoritism (Feinberg et al, 2012; Gilligan et al, 2020; Leijten et al, 2021) may account for intersibling violence independent of other family violence and its long‐term negative impact on emotional aspects of sibling relationships. This explanation, however, warrants further research.…”

Do siblings influence one another? Unpacking processes that occur during sibling conflict

“…The older, more dominant sibling's inertia, both at the positive and negative ends of constructiveness, may be a way to push‐back to the younger sibling and may function to curb processes of escalation. Of course, in everyday life, particularly when children are in the preschool period, there are multiple examples of negative feedback loops: parental interventions, one sibling exiting the interaction (Campione‐Barr, 2017; Leijten et al, 2021; Siddiqui & Ross, 2004) and so on.…”

“…By helping children to be slightly more generous in an appraisal of their sibling's actions, parents may be able to shift the directionality of the cascade. A recent meta-analysis of the effects of behavioral versus appraisal/problem solving interventions by parents found that both were effective in improving sibling interaction (Leijten et al, 2021).…”

“…Some of the more advanced methods in developmental science that capitalize on stabilities and fluctuations in behavior as a means of attributing causality (Laursen et al, 2011; Sokolovic, Leckie, et al, 2021; Sokolovic, Plamondon, et al, 2021) have been under‐utilized in sibling research. To date, the strongest sibling socialization effects outside of experimental design (e.g., Howe et al, 2019; Leijten et al, 2021) have been captured in longitudinal panel studies with both bi‐directional and older to younger influences reported, across years (Buist et al, 2019; Jambon et al, 2019; Pike & Oliver, 2017; Snyder et al, 2005). The goal of the current study was to examine influence during real time interaction.…”

Exploring sibling influences on school‐aged child injuries

“…For those families where sibling caregiving fits within their ethno‐cultural beliefs and practices (Klassen et al, 2020) or where it is a common facet of family functioning (Kiraly et al, 2020; Wikle et al, 2018), a better understanding of the role of sibling warmth may be particularly useful, as past work has shown that mothers did not discourage caregiving when siblings did not get along in families with preschool‐aged children (Morrongiello et al, 2007). Anticipatory guidance and family education materials targeting sibling caregiving during the school‐aged years should incorporate elements of existing programs designed to enhance the quality of sibling relationships (Leijten et al, 2021) into those designed to enhance home safety (Kendrick et al, 2013). These materials must also take into account family characteristics such as age, gender, number of siblings and income level (Damashek et al, 2021) as well as cultural norms and expectations (Zukow‐Goldring, 2002).…”