What is it about?
Studying siblings is not easy but seems necessary because, when parents have more than one child, they do not only relate to each child they have, they indirectly relate to one child through the way they relate to the other child. This study centred in considering three types of parental behaviors: affect, control and fairness as they were perceived by siblings pairs. So children answered whether their parents exerted more or less control towards them compared to their siblings, more or less affect towards them compared to their siblings; and, also, if parents were more or less fair in the way they treated them compared to their siblings. We then related these with each child's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. We studied 111 pairs of Spanish adolescent siblings.
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Why is it important?
It shows that parental differential behavior towards their children relates to children internalizing and externalizing behaviors. This differential parental behavior seems to impact older children more than younger children's behaviors. So, for instance, when older siblings perceived that their mothers exerted more control over then than over their younger sibling, they had more internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. When fathers and mothers balanced affect and control, older siblings had less externalizing behavior problems; besides, when mothers balanced affect and control, older sibling had less internalizing behavior problems. Fathers balance between affect and control related to less internalizing behavior problems in younger siblings. Mother's fairness perceived by the younger sibling related to them showing less internalizing and externalizing behavior problems.
Perspectives
This study contributes to our knowledge about the relationships between differential parental behaviors towards their children and how these relate to their children's behaviors. David collected all the data for this study and I know that it was a hard task. But we are happy that it was finally published and we hope that we have contributed to this sometimes overlooked area in the study of families.
Dr. Silvia López-Larrosa
Universidade da Coruna
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Parentalidad positiva: afecto, control y justicia del trato parental hacia díadas fraternas y su relación con los problemas socio-emocionales de los hijos adolescentes, Revista de Investigación en Educación, March 2023, University of Vigo,
DOI: 10.35869/reined.v21i1.4531.
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