Effects of parenting style and involvement in sibling conflict on adolescent sibling relationships

This study examined relationships among maternal and paternal parenting styles, patterns of involvement in adolescent sibling conflict, and sibling relationship quality. Students (N = 272) in grades 9 and 11 from a public high school in a metropolitan area of the Northeastern US completed measures of parenting styles, parental sibling conflict intervention styles, sibling closeness, sibling support, and sibling warmth and conflict. An authoritative parenting style was associated with sibling support and closeness. Cluster analyses identified gender-specific patterns of parental involvement. Participants reporting maternal or paternal coaching involvement style reported greater sibling warmth compared with those who did not report such patterns. The results highlight indirect and direct relationships between parental behavior and sibling relationship quality. In addition, the study identifies the existence of a meaningful typology of parental involvement in sibling conflict.