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Handbook of Marriage and the Family pp 329–351Cite as

Sibling Relationships

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Abstract

Sibling relationships are the longest lasting relationships in most individuals’ lives. Cross-cultural research shows that siblings are central in the everyday lives of children and adolescents around the world, and that in many cultures, these relationships remain among the most important in individuals’ lives across adulthood and into old age (Nuckolls, 1993; Weisner, 1989). Despite dramatic declines in family size in past decades in the US, demographic data reveal that the vast majority of children grow up in homes with at least one sibling (e.g., Hernandez, 1997; U.S. Census Bureau, 2008). Indeed, proportionately more children in the US grow up in a home with a sibling than in a home with a father. And, even in old age, most adults in the US have at least one living sibling (Cicirelli, 1995). As we review below, developmental and family scholars have documented the important role of siblings as sources of socialization and support across the lifespan (e.g., Cicirelli, 1995; Dunn, 2007). In the face of substantial evidence from a range of disciplines on the ubiquity and significance of sibling ties, however, research and theory on sibling relationships have lagged behind those on other family and close relationships.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, 211 Henderson Building South, University Park, PA, 16802-6504, USA

    Susan M. McHale PhD

  2. School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, 873701, Tempe, AZ, 85287-3701, USA

    Kimberly A. Updegraff PhD

  3. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue University, 101 Gates Road, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2020, USA

    Shawn D. Whiteman PhD

Authors
  1. Susan M. McHale PhD
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  2. Kimberly A. Updegraff PhD
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  3. Shawn D. Whiteman PhD
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Correspondence to Susan M. McHale PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Family Studies & Social Work, Miami University Dept. Family Studies & Social Work, Oxford, Ohio, USA

    Gary W. Peterson

  2. Dept. Family Studies & Social Work, Miami University Dept. Family Studies & Social Work, Oxford, Ohio, USA

    Kevin R. Bush

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McHale, S.M., Updegraff, K.A., Whiteman, S.D. (2013). Sibling Relationships. In: Peterson, G., Bush, K. (eds) Handbook of Marriage and the Family. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3987-5_15

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