Sibling Contact Research Articles

Maintaining sibling relationships for children in foster and adoptive placements

To better understand the nature of sibling relationships among children in foster or adoptive placement and the challenges and processes involved in maintaining these relationships, we conducted an exploratory analysis of data collected from semi-structured interviews with caregivers of 14 foster and adopted children. We identified three patterns of placement histories and living situations which appeared to impact the degree of contact maintained with siblings: (1) children who had never lived together and were not currently placed together; (2) children who at some point lived with or were placed together with their siblings, but were now separated from them; and (3) children who had lived with their siblings all their life and were placed together with at least some of their siblings at the time of the interview. Children's current living situations and placement histories, caregivers' experiences and perceptions of feasibility and desirability of sibling contact, and the sibling relationship itself are primary determinants in the development and maintenance of contact between siblings. Implications for child welfare policy and practice are discussed.

Sibling Relationships in Adulthood and Old Age

Using data from a study of 1996 adults aged 20 and older in Taiwan, this study examines the changing pattern of sibling relationships in adulthood across the life span, including young adulthood, middle age and old age. This study provides evidence that sibling ties in general provide more help in the form of social companionship and emotional support, and less in instrumental support. Furthermore, sibling contact and sibling support both vary inversely with age. In comparison to people in young adulthood and middle age, older people have less contact with siblings, and they also receive less assistance from siblings. This present study shows that the hypothesis generated by the life course perspective for analysis of changes in sibling relationships across life span is not supported. The results show that brother—brother dyads tend to provide the most help, which is different from the findings in western society where women are kin keepers. Such difference illustrates how the family—kinship institution affects sibling relationships across different cultures. Social companionship with siblings is a significant predictor of actual support from siblings, irrespective of whether it is emotional or instrumental in form.

Factors Associated with General Partner and Relational Uncertainty within Early Adulthood Sibling Relationships

Guided by the theoretical concept of uncertainty, the present study was an exploratory investigation of general partner and relational uncertainty within sibling relationships. Undergraduate and graduate student participants responded to a written survey utilizing scales measuring general partner uncertainty, relational uncertainty, extent of topic avoidance, and various relational and demographic items. Results revealed that siblings experience significantly more partner uncertainty than relational uncertainty, although both uncertainty types were experienced at low to moderate levels. Further, differing levels of partner and relational uncertainty were associated with frequency of sibling contact, but not with sibling dyadic gender composition. Finally, both general partner and relational uncertainty were significant predictors of levels of general topic avoidance, although neither uncertainty type predicted romantic/sexual relationship topic avoidance levels. Theoretical implications for uncertainty management are discussed in light of the unique sibling relationship.

Sibling connections: The importance of nurturing sibling bonds in the foster care system

It is estimated that over two-thirds of children in out-of-home care have siblings. Because of the significant relationships that children may have with their parents and siblings before being removed from their home, children who enter the child welfare system may experience anxiety, trauma, grief, guilt and loss of identity. The purpose of this paper is to explore the ameliorating effect that sibling connections can have on these factors. It is the authors' position that sibling connections are extremely important to children in out-of-home care and, apart from situations where sibling contact will cause trauma or disruption for the children, professionals should make every effort to maintain sibling relationships. The authors investigate the issue of sibling connections in substitute care by adding a unique perspective to the discussion. Both of the authors are child welfare researchers who also spent a significant amount of time in foster care, together and separated from siblings. As adults who have lived within the child welfare system, the authors offer other professionals an alternative way to look at the issues, and new ideas for practice and policy aimed at resolving the challenges faced by children in out-of-home care.

Sibling effects on substance use in adolescence: social contagion and genetic relatedness.

Prior research on sibling contagion for substance use has not attended to individual differences in the sibling relationship that may be influenced by genetic similarity. The authors utilizing data on a sample of twin and nontwin siblings participating in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Although monozygotic twins had the highest levels of sibling contact and mutual friendships, the pattern of results for other sibling types were not consistent with genetic models, and biometric analysis indicated that shared environmental factors influenced these sibling relationship features. Application of DeFries-Fulker regression models provided evidence that sibling contact and mutual friendships represent a source of social contagion for adolescent smoking and drinking independent of genetic relatedness. The results are interpreted using a social contagion framework and contrasted with other competing models such as those focused on the equal environments assumption and niche selection.

The Effects of Early Parental Death on Sibling Relationships in Later Life

The present study draws on elements of kinship and life course perspectives to examine the influence of parental death during childhood on adult sibling contact and closeness. Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households ( N = 3,684), comparisons are made between adults who experienced early parental death and those with no history of childhood family disruptions, and between adults who experienced early maternal death and those who experienced paternal death during childhood. Results from Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analyses indicate that adults who experienced parental death during childhood do not have more sibling contact, but are closer to their siblings in adulthood than adults who grew up in intact families. In addition, adults who experienced maternal death during childhood have less sibling contact than adults who experienced paternal death, but there are not differences between these two groups in terms of closeness. These findings indicate that it is important to assess the long-term impact of early parental death on adult outcomes and that gender of the deceased parent may have more significant implications for some dimensions of adult sibling relationships than others.

A cross-cultural perspective on continuity and change in social relations in old age: introduction to a special issue.

The four articles that make up this special issue represent a sample of the stimulating work being done with longitudinal studies of social relationships in Europe, Israel, and the United States. A Dutch article examines support to fathers and mothers by their sons and daughters; an Israeli article finds some differences in family relationships among three national origin groups; a Swedish article finds that life satisfaction is associated with sibling contact; and an American article describes differences between casual and close friends, and between the friendships of very old men and women. This essay introduces these articles and comments on cultural similarities and differences that have been found in the broad field of social relationships.

Social relationships and health as predictors of life satisfaction in advanced old age: results from a Swedish longitudinal study.

This longitudinal study examines the relationship between family and friend social support, health, and life satisfaction for a single cohort of eighty-year-old persons living in Lund, Sweden. Results indicate that participants who remained in the study are healthier and score higher on life satisfaction when compared with those who either drop-out or die prior to age eighty-three. Even though well-integrated with family and friends, the number of friends decreases significantly from eighty to eighty-three years; those who reported no close friends nearly doubled from eighty to eighty-three years. However, for those with close friends, contact with friends increases with age. In contrast to previous research, a correlational analysis indicates that neither child nor friend support is related to life satisfaction at either eighty or eighty-three years. However, health measures and satisfaction with sibling contact are related to total life satisfaction at age eighty-three only. These findings indicate the multidimensionality of both social support and life satisfaction for the old-old.

Identification of risk factors for psychological disturbance in adopted children

A postal survey explored the prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems in 97 adopted children using Achenbach's Child Behaviour Checklist. Possible predictors of high problem scores were sought in the pre-placement history and in aspects of the adoptive placement. The adopted children studied had significantly higher problem scores than a non-clinic population. Problem scores were significantly higher in children with a history of pre-placement abuse. Abused children also had significantly more placements prior to adoption and were older at adoption. Racial congruence of adopted family, sex of child and ethnicity did not affect problem scores. Sibling contact was positively associated with high problem scores. The findings have important implications for adoption policy and the management of intractable child abuse and require further more detailed investigation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Identification of risk factors for psychological disturbance in adopted children

A postal survey explored the prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems in 97 adopted children using Achenbach's Child Behaviour Checklist. Possible predictors of high problem scores were sought in the pre-placement history and in aspects of the adoptive placement. The adopted children studied had significantly higher problem scores than a non-clinic population. Problem scores were significantly higher in children with a history of pre-placement abuse. Abused children also had significantly more placements prior to adoption and were older at adoption. Racial congruence of adopted family, sex of child and ethnicity did not affect problem scores. Sibling contact was positively associated with high problem scores. The findings have important implications for adoption policy and the management of intractable child abuse and require further more detailed investigation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of sibling contact on hatch timing in an asynchronously hatching bird

Previous laboratory studies have shown that embryonic acoustic cues enable some precocial birds to effect tight within-brood hatching synchrony. Embryos of these species therefore can exert partial control over their own hatch timing. In many other avian taxa, substantial asynchrony characterizes hatching. Hatching asynchrony traditionally has been interpreted as being controlled purely by parents. Yet because asynchrony often influences the outcome of subsequent nestling competitions, offspring control over hatch timing could be beneficial, particularly for the youngest brood members. To explore whether chicks of the asynchronously hatching glaucous-winged gull, Larus glaucescens, modify their hatch timing in response to sibling priximity, laboratory and field experiments were performed in which physical contact with sibling eggs was manipulated. As in earlier studies of precocial species, a clear effect was found under laboratory conditions: sibling eggs incubated in contact with each other had significantly shorter hatching spreads than those spaced just 10 cm apart. Under field conditions, by contrast, there was no effect: sibling eggs incubated in separate nests (with two plaster companions each) hatched with the same spread as siblings sharing a common nest. Thus, in this species, the synchronization effect of sibling contact is apparently restricted to the laboratory context. With artificial incubation, eggs in physical contact may receive sufficient stimulation (from siblings) to hatch on schedule, but those separated by even a few centimetres experience retarded hatch, perhaps as a result of acoustic deprivation. In the field, however, levels of stimulation above some threshold may be readily available (from parents, colony milieu and other ambient sources), thereby permitting eggs without siblings to hatch at the ‘normal’ time.

Contact between Siblings in Later Life

Data from 400 older persons are used to examine sibling contact. The gender, marital, and parent status of the respondent and each of his or her siblings are used to create variables that describe the characteristics of 783 sibling dyads. The effect of these variables and geographic proximity on frequency of contact by mail, phone, and in person; the frequency of discussing important matters; and whether contact levels are as desired, is tested. Sisters, previously married siblings, and pairs with one or two single or childless members, are in greatest contact. For these groups, the sibling tie is a particularly viable source of emotional and instrumental support.

Effects of feeding and light cycles on activity rhythms of maternally isolated rat pups

Motor activity of infant rat pups was measured continuously between days 3 and 18 of postnatal age. Mother-reared rats on a 12:12 LD cycle exhibited significant rhythmic activity in the circadian range as early as day 5 of postnatal age. Some of the pups reared in isolation from maternal and sibling contact and kept on 12:12 LD cycles, feeding cycles, or combinations of feeding, temperature, and LD cycles also showed rhythmic activity but it was less persistent and of a lower amplitude than the rhythms of the mother-reared group. In the isolated rat pups nocturnal partitioning of activity was strengthened in the presence of both a light-dark cycle and a feeding cycle but only when the feeding resembled more natural nursing rhythms. In animals kept on constant light and a feeding cycle, activity occurred slightly more often during the 12-hr interval of decreased food intake. The addition of a temperature cycle—cooler nocturnal temperature—decreased the proportions of nocturnal motor activity. These results indicate that feeding and light-dark cycles may contribute to the synchronization of activity rhythms during the early postnatal period.

Direct Sibling Contact Bacterial Colonization in Newborns

A two-phase, experimental study tested the hypothesis that no significant association exists between direct sibling contact and the bacterial colonization rates of neonates during their initial hospital stay. In Phase I, 44 infants were randomly assigned to experimental (N = 23) and control (N = 21) groups. Infants in the experimental group had direct contact with an older sibling who had been screened for communicable diseases; infants in the control group did not. The dependent variable, bacterial colonization, was measured using cultures of nasal and umbilical swabs of all neonates in the study. Swabs were taken at admission and discharge. In Phase II, the same procedures were followed except that swabs were taken from the neonates (N = 33 in each group) at admission, before the sibling contact, and at discharge. Analysis of the data using the standard error of the difference between proportions showed no significant differences in the proportion of infants colonized by staphylococcal and streptococcal organisms. Thus, bacterial colonization rates and older sibling contact were not associated. Implications for care and further research are discussed.

Effects of maternal isolation on the development of activity rhythms in infant rats

Motor activity of infant rats was measured continuously from day 3 to day 18 of post-natal age. Mother reared pups maintained on a 12 hour light/12 hour dark cycle (MRLD) show a clear predominance of nocturnal activity on day 31 post conception (post-natal day 9 or 10), 4 days before eye opening. Nocturnal partitioning increases progressively to the time of weaning. Rats reared artificially and in isolation from maternal and sibling contact but in the same light/dark regimen (ARLD) fail to develop clear nocturnal partitioning of motor activity.

The role of siblings during pediatric hospitalization.

Based on interview data from 56 families, the authors describes parents’ views of how siblings participate in and respond to a short-term pediatric hospitalization. Specific patterns of sibling contact with the hospitalized child are presented and the role of siblings in the family's overall adjustment to the situation is explored. Data revealed that most siblings maintained regular, direct contact with the hospitalized child. Almost half the siblings participated actively in accommodating family life to the hospitalization by assuming additional responsibilities in only 16 percent (n=17) of the siblings. Negative responses clustered in those siblings cared for outside their own home and in the 4 to 11 year age range.

Measles in rural Ohio county.

Between December 23, 1975, and March 31, 1976, 169 cases of measles were reported from Defiance County, Ohio, a small rural county in the northwest corner of the State. The outbreak spread from a single junior high school basketball player to eventually involve 19 of the 28 county schools. Among the affected schools, measles attack rates varied from 0.3-7.2% with a mean of 2.0%. A likely source of illness was determined for 160 of the 169 cases (95%). Intraschool transmission was most common, accounting for 97 of the 169 cases (57%) followed by sibling contact for 23 cases (14%). The pattern of measles spread was complex and would have been difficult to predict in advance even if surveillance systems reported each case the day it occurred. A control program held between February 2 and February 20, 1976, vaccinated 5145 of the 11,114 (46.3%) county schoolchildren. Forty-four cases of measles occurred 4 or more days following school clinics, 22 (50%) in children who requested measles vaccine at school clinics, 17 of whom were actually vaccinated. Most of the other cases occurred in students whose parents thought their children to be protected. Measles is a disease which spreads rapidly in a complex pattern over wide geographic areas. A control program vaccinating a large proportion of the children without definitive history of adequate vaccination or disease was apprently effective in curtailing the outbreak.