The Sibling Bond and Perceptions about Family Interaction among Adolescent School-going Girls

Abstract

The study sample comprises 84 school-going adolescent girls from higher income fami-
lies of urban Bangalore, India. The focus of the study was on understanding the various
dimensions of sibling relationships and to examine the respondents’ perceptions about
family interactions, and whether they impinged on one another in a dynamic context. It
was found that socio-demographic factors influenced both the variables. Higher empa-
thy, similarity and lower levels of boundary maintenance, coercion among siblings were
co-existent with the perceived higher intimacy and lesser conflict between parents, and
a positive parenting style. Hence, therapeutic interventions in the sibling subsystem
may bring positive changes in the family system and vice versa.