Attitude of siblings towards their disabled brother/sister: Examining the roles of sibling position and socio-economic status

Abstract

Growing up with a disabled sibling can have positive or negative effect on psychological wellbeing. However, little is known about the factors that influence siblings' attitudes toward their disabled brother or sister. Our study investigated how sibling position and family socioeconomic status (SES) influence sibling’s attitude towards their disabled brother/sister in South-eastern Nigeria. One hundred and eighteen (118) typically developed siblings (aged 13-18 years) of children with disabilities participated in this study. They consisted of 26 firstborns; 35 middle borns, and 57 lastborns. Forty-eight (48) had high SES and 70 had low SES. Results indicated that sibling position and family SES had no significant influence on attitude of siblings. The interaction of both factors influenced siblings’ attitude thus: Firstborn children from higher SES showed more positive attitude toward their disabled siblings when compared to those from lower SES. Middleborn children from lower SES showed more positive attitude than their counterparts from high SES while lastborn children from high SES scored higher in positive attitude toward their disabled siblings than those from low SES. Findings provide a step toward an understanding of the dynamics of sibling relationship can direct assistance and training programs for children with disabled siblings and their families, as well as inform counselling services for children with disabled siblings and their families.