Big brothers and little kid aggression
Introduction
Little kids with big brothers are more likely to be aggressive says new research…
3/5 stars (rated 3 times)
Oh boy…
Wondering why your preschooler is beating up on you and his playmates? Look no further than his big brother, say researchers who reckon that having an older brother makes younger siblings more aggressive.
Research by the University of California, Davis indicated that while a particularly aggressive older sister may potentially wreak the same havoc on her younger siblings, having an older brother was a big factor in predicting a child’s level of aggression in adolescence.
In general, having a younger sister made older kids less aggressive, while children with younger brothers demonstrated fairly stable levels of aggression over time. Mom and dad are in the mix too: parental hostility was also key when it came to kids displaying aggressive tendencies. Economic pressure also played a part in straining parent-child relationships because it tended to increase parental hostility.
That’s not all big brother might be doing to the kids either – previous research has indicated that boys may have a five-point IQ advantage over his sisters by adolescence. Having an older brother can also affect how tall younger siblings grow: statistics show that by 10 years old children with several older brothers are shorter than average. Experts have theorized that the boy effect may be caused by boys being more demanding on parental resources.
Supernanny Team
Related Links
- When your child is aggressive If you don’t set limits and show kids how to express feelings of anger and frustration with words, physical expression can develop into full-blown aggression.
- Coping with your child’s anger It’s perfectly normal for kids to get angry but it can be hard to deal with. Supernanny expert Victoria Samuel’s 5-step plan will help you cut your child’s rage off at the pass…
- Managing bad behavior at home It’s an age-old story: your child is a little angel at nursery: kind, polite, helpful and caring towards his teacher. But when he comes home he has regular tantrums, never does what he’s told and beats up on his kid sister. Why?
- What to do if your child is violent Putting the reins on violent kids requires diligence and consistency…