Parental style in handling different sibling conflicts: The association with the quality of sibling relationship

Objectives: This study examined two parental styles in handling different types of sibling conflicts, and the relationship between parental styles and the quality of sibling relationships. Methods: 156 Hong Kong Chinese children aged 9-15 with at least one sibling close in age were recruited to complete a questionnaire on how they perceive their parents’ parental styles (i.e., non-involvement or intervention) in handling three types of sibling conflicts (i.e., behavioural control, possession sharing dispute and physical aggression). Additionally, the participants were asked to comment on the quality of their relationship (i.e., sibling warmth, sibling conflict, sibling support) with their closest-in-age sibling. Results: Results showed that parents were more likely to adopt the intervention style for sibling conflicts involving physical aggression. Furthermore, intervention style was positively correlated with sibling conflict across three types of conflicts, while intervention style was negatively correlated with sibling support particularly in sibling conflicts involving physical aggression. Conclusion: These results suggest that frequent parental intervention may not be effective in solving sibling conflicts. All rights reserved.