The Science of Siblings

Family Dynamics

Sibling Caretaking: Helpful but When Is It Too Much?

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on December 16, 2025

Sibling caretaking can alleviate families’ childcare demands and promote children’s positive development, but it can also be a risk factor for sibling aggression and abuse.

Sibling caretaking can alleviate families’ childcare demands and promote children’s positive development, but it can also be a risk factor for sibling aggression and abuse.

Sexual Abuse

Preventing Harmful Sexual Behavior Between Siblings

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on October 22, 2025

Sibling sexual behavior happens but parents and professionals can reduce the risk.

Sibling sexual behavior happens but parents and professionals can reduce the risk.

Family Dynamics

Yes, You Can Teach Siblings Empathy

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on September 9, 2025

Parents can teach empathy skills to their children to help reduce sibling conflict and aggression and foster positive sibling relationships.

Parents can teach empathy skills to their children to help reduce sibling conflict and aggression and foster positive sibling relationships.

Family Dynamics

Sibling Rivalry Shouldn’t Hurt

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on July 22, 2025

Parents often mistake serious and harmful behaviors for common sibling rivalry.

Parents often mistake serious and harmful behaviors for common sibling rivalry.

Family Dynamics

What if the Person Harming Your Student Is a Sibling?

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on May 22, 2025

K-12 personnel can and should assess and intervene on behalf of students experiencing sibling abuse. These five steps can help them advocate for students harmed by siblings.

K-12 personnel can and should assess and intervene on behalf of students experiencing sibling abuse. These five steps can help them advocate for students harmed by siblings.

Family Dynamics

Sibling Abuse Is Family Violence

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on April 1, 2025

Sibling physical and psychological abuse are underrecognized but, like other forms of family violence, are harmful to mental health across the lifespan.

Sibling physical and psychological abuse are underrecognized but, like other forms of family violence, are harmful to mental health across the lifespan.

Family Dynamics

Help Children With Disabilities and Their Siblings Get Along

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on March 10, 2025

Children with disabilities can have warm, fun, and engaging relationships with their siblings. There are three strategies parents can use to promote positive sibling relationships.

Children with disabilities can have warm, fun, and engaging relationships with their siblings. There are three strategies parents can use to promote positive sibling relationships.

Family Dynamics

The Lifelong Benefits of a Close Sibling Relationship

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on January 22, 2025

Support from a sibling promotes well-being and relationship health across the lifespan.

Support from a sibling promotes well-being and relationship health across the lifespan.

Family Dynamics

How Should Parents Respond to Sibling Sexual Behavior?

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on December 4, 2024

When harmful sexual behavior occurs between siblings, parents often feel ashamed, overwhelmed, and confused. Learn how to support children in this situation and promote healing.

When harmful sexual behavior occurs between siblings, parents often feel ashamed, overwhelmed, and confused. Learn how to support children in this situation and promote healing.

Relationships

Can Sibling Conflict Lead to Romantic Relationship Problems?

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on October 14, 2024

Sibling dynamics, especially conflict management styles, are connected to the quality of our adult romantic relationships and well-being.

Sibling dynamics, especially conflict management styles, are connected to the quality of our adult romantic relationships and well-being.

Family Dynamics

Helping Parents Manage Siblings Who Fight

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on August 29, 2024

This common parenting challenge is surprisingly absent from parenting resources, but effective strategies do exist.

This common parenting challenge is surprisingly absent from parenting resources, but effective strategies do exist.

Adverse Childhood Experiences

Sibling Aggression and Abuse Are ACEs

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on July 2, 2024

Adverse childhood experience (ACE) screenings for children, parents, and adults should be broadened to include sibling aggression and abuse experiences.

Adverse childhood experience (ACE) screenings for children, parents, and adults should be broadened to include sibling aggression and abuse experiences.

Sexual Abuse

Helping Practitioners Respond to Sibling Sexual Behavior

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on May 20, 2024

Situations involving sibling sexual behavior require careful attention to contextual factors, including the whole family.

Situations involving sibling sexual behavior require careful attention to contextual factors, including the whole family.

Family Dynamics

Why Don’t Children Tell When Their Sibling Harms Them?

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on March 29, 2024

Some children don’t get help to stop sibling aggression and abuse, leaving them vulnerable to lifelong negative impacts on mental, physical, and relationship health.

Some children don’t get help to stop sibling aggression and abuse, leaving them vulnerable to lifelong negative impacts on mental, physical, and relationship health.

Sexual Abuse

When to Be Concerned About Sibling Sexual Behavior

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on February 8, 2024

Parents and professionals often overreact or underreact to apparent sibling sexual behavior. Learning to identify harmful dynamics is key to child safety.

Parents and professionals often overreact or underreact to apparent sibling sexual behavior. Learning to identify harmful dynamics is key to child safety.

Family Dynamics

3 Ways to Foster a Positive Sibling Relationship

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on December 11, 2023

A positive sibling relationship is associated with better mental and physical health and quality interpersonal relationships across the lifespan.

A positive sibling relationship is associated with better mental and physical health and quality interpersonal relationships across the lifespan.

Family Dynamics

The Long-Term Impact of Sibling Aggression on Adults

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on November 3, 2023

Victimization by an aggressive or abusive sibling in childhood can have lifelong negative health impacts and lead to family estrangements.

Victimization by an aggressive or abusive sibling in childhood can have lifelong negative health impacts and lead to family estrangements.

Family Dynamics

When Does Sibling Fighting Become Harmful?

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on September 11, 2023

Sibling aggression and abuse are rarely recognized, but if left unaddressed, they can have lifelong negative impacts on mental health and lead to family estrangements.

Sibling aggression and abuse are rarely recognized, but if left unaddressed, they can have lifelong negative impacts on mental health and lead to family estrangements.

Family Dynamics

Sibling Conflict Is an Opportunity for Children to Grow

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on July 16, 2023

Parents can use a simple mediation technique to decrease destructive sibling conflict, enhance children’s interpersonal skills and well-being, and create a more peaceful household.

Parents can use a simple mediation technique to decrease destructive sibling conflict, enhance children’s interpersonal skills and well-being, and create a more peaceful household.

Bullying

Bullying by Peers and Siblings

Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., and Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, Ph.D. on June 14, 2023

Sibling bullying frequently happens and can lead to peer bullying. Educators and parents can identify sibling bullying and advocate to include it in anti-bullying programming.

Sibling bullying frequently happens and can lead to peer bullying. Educators and parents can identify sibling bullying and advocate to include it in anti-bullying programming.