Siblings versus parents and friends: longitudinal linkages to adolescent externalizing problems

• Published in: Journal of child psychology and psychiatry 2013-08, Vol.54 (8), p.881-889
• Main Authors: Defoe, Ivy N., Keijsers, Loes, Hawk, Skyler T., Branje, Susan, Dubas, Judith Semon, Buist, Kirsten, Frijns, Tom, A. G. van Aken, Marcel, Koot, Hans M., van Lier, Pol A. C., Meeus, Wim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Development - physiology; Adolescents; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Age Differences; Behavior disorders; Behavior Problems; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Correlation; Externalizing problems; Female; Foreign Countries; Friends; Friends - psychology; Gender Differences; Humans; Interaction; Internal-External Control; Interpersonal Relations; longitudinal; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Models, Psychological; negative interaction; Negative interactions; Netherlands; Original; Parent Child Relationship; Parent Influence; Parent-Child Relations; Parents; Parents - psychology; Peer Influence; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Questionnaires; Risk Factors; Sibling Relations; Sibling Relationship; Siblings; Social behavior disorders. Criminal behavior. Delinquency
• ISSN: 0021-9630; 1469-7610
• DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12049

Background It is well documented that friends' externalizing problems and negative parent–child interactions predict externalizing problems in adolescence, but relatively little is known about the role of siblings. This four‐wave, multi‐informant study investigated linkages of siblings' externalizing problems and sibling–adolescent negative interactions on adolescents' externalizing problems, while examining and controlling for similar linkages with friends and parents. Methods Questionnaire data on externalizing problems and negative interactions were annually collected from 497 Dutch adolescents (M = 13.03 years, SD = 0.52, at baseline), as well as their siblings, mothers, fathers, and friends. Results Cross‐lagged panel analyses revealed modest unique longitudinal paths from sibling externalizing problems to adolescent externalizing problems, for male and female adolescents, and for same‐sex and mixed‐sex sibling dyads, but only from older to younger siblings. Moreover, these paths were above and beyond significant paths from mother–adolescent negative interaction and friend externalizing problems to adolescent externalizing problems, 1 year later. No cross‐lagged paths existed between sibling–adolescent negative interaction and adolescent externalizing problems. Conclusions Taken together, it appears that especially older sibling externalizing problems may be a unique social risk factor for adolescent externalizing problems, equal in strength to significant parents' and friends' risk factors.