The effect of divorce on the sibling relationship in a sample of University students -

Abstract

In recent years, divorce rates in Lebanon have greatly increased reaching 14percent in 2010 (Information International) yet there have been no studies examining the effects divorce has on children and family dynamics. While reviewing the international literature on the topic, divorce was shown to have predominantly negative effects on children’s adjustment and on sibling relationship quality. Researchers have explored variables such as perceived parental conflict and parentification in divorced families and found that it is these constructs that account for the negative effects rather than divorce itself. It has also been found that social support can be a significant protective factor against the adverse effects of divorce. The present study investigated the effect of divorce on the sibling relationship in a sample of 161 university students while also examining the effects of parentification, perceived parental conflict and social support. The results showed that divorce had no effect on the sibling relationship whereas parentification negatively affected the sibling relationship while perceived parental conflict and social support positively affected it. The clinical implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research are discussed.