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Siblings, Half-Siblings, and Stepsiblings

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Stepfamily Relationships

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Abstract

What is the nature of sibling, stepsibling, and half-sibling relationships in stepfamilies? Data on the presence of stepsiblings and half-siblings in stepfamilies is difficult to acquire but estimates are that nearly 15 % of all children live with a half-or stepsibling, and over 12 % live in complex stepfamilies in which they have both half- and stepsiblings. This complexity is important to address because it relates to family dynamics and children’s well-being. Theoretical perspectives on children’s sibling relationships in stepfamilies are presented, including: (1) parental resource/investment models, (2) sibling structure, (3) stress hypotheses, and (4) selection effects. Research on siblings in stepfamilies is in its infancy, but factors that influence relationships include: frequency of contact (do they share a residence), age differences, sex differences, and perceived equity of treatment by the step-couple.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Lawrence Ganong & Marilyn Coleman

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  1. Lawrence Ganong
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  2. Marilyn Coleman
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Ganong, L., Coleman, M. (2017). Siblings, Half-Siblings, and Stepsiblings. In: Stepfamily Relationships. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7702-1_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7702-1_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-7700-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-7702-1

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