Older brothers really are the biggest bullies
Study of 6,838 children backs up what younger siblings always suspected (and it's worse in larger families)
If you grew up being terrorised by an older brother, you are not alone. Big brothers really are the biggest bullies, particularly for those in larger families.
A study has found when it comes to sibling name-calling, teasing and other types of mean behaviour, older boys tend to be the perpetrators. Girls are more likely to be targeted by their siblings, especially if they are the babies of the family.
Psychologists at the University of Warwick tracked the family dynamics of 6,838 British siblings up until the age 12.
They found firstborn children and older brothers are the most likely to pick on others in their family, and jealousy about having to share may be the reason why.
Dr Dieter Wolke, who led the study from the psychology department at the universi- ty, said: ‘A firstborn child gets 100 per cent of parents’ attention, toys and playtime but that gets cut to 50 per cent when a second child is born, and it falls even further when more children come along. So siblings turn into bullies because they are competing for attention or they are frustrated someone else is taking their parents away..’
Boys are the biggest bullies, being 69 per cent more likely to pick on their siblings, and older children are more than twice as likely to be bullies too.
Dr Wolke said: 'Bullying occurs in situations where we cannot choose our peers, like in families. Siblings live in close quarters and the familiarity allows them to know what buttons to press to upset their brothers or sisters.' The full findings are published in Developmental Psychology.