Why older brothers are the biggest bullies

IF YOU were terrorised by your older brother, you are not alone.

A study has found that when it comes to bullying by siblings – involving name-calling, teasing and other types of mean behaviour – older boys tend to be the perpetrators. Girls are more likely to be the targets, researchers found.

The team from the University of Warwick tracked the family dynamics of almost 7,000 British siblings up until the age of 12. They found that first-born children and older brothers are the most likely to pick on others in their family. Dr Dieter Wolke, who led the study, said: ‘A first-born child gets 100 per cent of parents’ attention, toys and play time but that gets cut to 50 per cent when a second child is born, and it falls even further when more children come along.

‘Siblings turn into bullies because they are competing for attention.’

The findings were published in the journal Developmental Psychology.