Longitudinal associations between sibling relationship quality and child adjustment after divorce

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the interplay between the parent–child and sibling relationships in their associations with child adjustment after divorce, in order to understand the postdivorce impact of the sibling relationship more thoroughly. Background: The sibling relationship is unique in its lifetime duration and frequent interactions, and is associated with child adjustment in intact families. Research on the sibling relationship in divorced families is warranted, as it is one of the few stable factors in children's lives shortly after divorce. Method: To examine direct and moderating effects of the sibling relationship, data from N = 117 children (Mage = 12.85) of 65 families and their recently divorced parents (60 mothers, 45 fathers) were used. Longitudinal associations of sibling support, sibling conflict, parent–child relationship quality, and their interactions with child adjustment were estimated with generalized estimating equations. Results: The sibling relationship was related to children's (relative change in) externalizing problems and self-esteem over time, but not to internalizing problems. Especially high sibling support was found beneficial and buffered the adversity of sibling conflict regarding children's self-esteem. There was no substantial evidence that siblings moderated parent–child relationship quality. Conclusions: In the context of divorce and adequate parent–child relationship quality, the sibling relationship seems to be complementary rather than compensatory to that of parents. Given the role of siblings in externalizing behaviors and self-esteem, potential benefits of targeting the sibling relationship in (preventive) interventions aimed at divorced families should be explored.