Characteristics and correlates of sibling relationships in two-parent African American families.
The authors studied sibling relationships of African American youths and family and youth characteristics linked to sibling dynamics. Participants were fathers, mothers, and 2 siblings (M = 14.04 and M = 10.34 years of age) from 172 working-middle class 2-parent families. Cluster analyses of data collected in home interviews revealed 3 sibling relationship types: positive, negative, and distant. Parent education was lower, parent religiosity higher, and parent-child relationships more positive in the positive group; maternal discrimination experiences were higher in the negative group; youth ethnic identity was stronger in the positive group; and youth depression and risky behavior were higher in the negative group. The findings target sociocultural factors to consider in interventions for African American families.
McHale
Susan M
SM
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. x2u@psu.edu
Whiteman
Shawn D
SD
Kim
Ji-Yeon
JY
Crouter
Ann C
AC
D044383:Black People / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations / Q000208:ethnology; D016487:Parenting / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D011287:Prejudice; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012801:Sibling Relations / Q000208:ethnology*; D012933:Social Identification; D012951:Socialization; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D001741:Black or African American