You might think as parents, it’s you who shapes your child’s development within the family, but a study has shown siblings also play an important role in helping kids develop empathy.
Children whose older brothers and sisters are kind, warm, and supportive are more empathic than children whose siblings lack these characteristics, researchers from the University of Calgary, Universite Laval, Tel Aviv University, and the University of Toronto, found. The researchers also found both older and younger siblings positively influence each others’ empathic concern over time.
“Our findings emphasise the importance of considering how all members of the family, not just parents and older siblings, contribute to children’s development,” suggested Sheri Madigan, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Calgary, who coauthored the study.
“The influence of younger siblings has been found during adolescence, but our study indicates that this process may begin much earlier than previously thought.”
