Sibling Development

"I heartily recommend Sibling Development."--CFLE Network Newsletter (National Council on Family Relations) Sibling relationships have a major influence on a person's development and behavior, yet, until now the topic has been seriously underrepresented in the professional literature. Sibling Development: Implications for Mental Health Practitioners addresses this gap by examining the range of developmental, clinical, and cultural issues related to sibling relationships. It highlights positive sibling relationships as a source of strength and resilience; at the other end of the spectrum, it addresses sibling abuse, a dangerous and underdiagnosed condition. It demonstrates the crucial support that siblings can provide each other in families experiencing mental illness, substance abuse, divorce, and other stressors. It also considers issues of cultural and ethnic diversity, gender, disability, and sexual orientation as they relate to siblings and their families. Each chapter provides case studies to illustrate how theory and empirical findings can be incorporated into culturally informed treatment, and offers implications for practice and future research. It is an essential resource for all practitioners, researchers, students, and educators who work with or study siblings. Key Features: Examines the role of siblings as cultural educators and socializing agents Offers empirically derived treatment approaches for siblings and families Discusses lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender siblings Includes case studies to demonstrate how to integrate theory and empirical findings into practice Looks at sibling dynamics in families with mental illness, substance abuse, and divorce, as well as siblings of individuals with disabilities Discusses sibling relationships in transracial adoptive families

Siblings play an integral and essential part in our psychic development. Traditionally in psychoanalytic thinking, sibling relationships are regarded as secondary in developmental importance to the relationships with the parents. The authors in this book challenge this view and explore the impact of sibling relationships on internal psychic structures, family and social relationships. They suggest that siblings play a primary part in psychic development, even for an only child, and that infants are born with an expectation of siblings, an innate pre-conception similar to those relating to the breast and parental couple. Through infant observations and psychoanalytic treatment, the authors in this book examine sibling relationships from the most profoundly close, as in conjoined twins, through other twin and sibling relationships and deliberate on the wider context of social and tribal brotherhood and sisterhood.

Take a close look at sibling relationships--particularly how siblings navigate power, control, and influence and how the relationship affects the development of the individuals involved. While such relationships are both complementary and reciprocal, they transforms rather dramatically: from hierarchical in early and middle childhood, to egalitarian by early adulthood. This issue to examines: the processes and consequences of such dynamic power shifts for our broader understanding of how these relationship dynamics change and develop throughout the life course, how such dynamics may be similar or different cross-culturally, and how they influence the quality of the sibling relationship, as well as the well-being of youth. To do so, the authors present research from each developmental period from early childhood through young adulthood, as well as cross-cultural research, in order to further understanding of the developmental and contextual themes that allow for drawing broader conclusions. This is the 156th volume in this Jossey-Bass series New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development. Its mission is to provide scientific and scholarly presentations on cutting edge issues and concepts in this subject area. Each volume focuses on a specific new direction or research topic and is edited by experts from that field.

Many people grow up with at least one sibling. These siblings are often ‘fellow travellers’ through adversity or significant life events; they can act as a source of support for some children while a source of conflict for others. For these reasons, siblings are a potentially powerful influence on development and this book is one of the first of its kind to provide an overview of cutting-edge psychological research on this important relationship. Why Siblings Matter is a cornerstone text on siblinghood. Integrating findings from a 10 year longitudinal study alongside wider research, it provides a lifespan perspective examining the impact of sibling relationships on children’s development and well-being. This text situates siblings in their historical, developmental and family context, considers the influence of siblings on children’s development and adjustment, and provides an introduction to new research on siblings in diverse contexts. The authors discuss sibling relationships in varied populations such as siblings with disabilities, siblings in different cultures and siblings in non-traditional families, while also considering the practical implications of research. Covering both classical studies and new results this book offers take-home messages for promoting positive sibling interactions. It will be invaluable reading for students and researchers in developmental psychology and family studies and professionals in education, health and social work.

Macro Influences on Power -- Adult Sibling Interactions -- Conclusion -- References -- 8 Commentary 2: Sibling Power Dynamics: The Role of Family and Sociocultural Context -- References -- INDEX -- ORDER FORM -- EULA

Examines a variety of biological, socialization, and contextual influences on prosocial development from infancy through young adulthood. While the definition of prosocial behavior may seem straight forward, recent research has highlighted its multifaceted nature. This volume specifically focuses on the multidimensionality of prosocial development, examining different contexts, motivations, types, and targets of prosocial behavior that are differentially predicted by socialization and dispositional characteristics.

This volume€reflects the strong influence that Sandra Wood Scarr's scholarship has had on what we know about experience and development via the lens of the psychological sciences, especially the fields of developmental psychology, behavior genetics, early education and child care.

Updated and expanded to 124 entries, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development remains the authoritative reference in the field.