| A person's relationship with his or her sibling is usually the longest relationship a person has. Further, in childhood and adolescence, these relationships are more intimate than in adulthood. Previous research has found that one of the most important aspects within the sibling relationship is the amount of help and support siblings provide for each other. Studies focusing on siblings have been done with predominantly Caucasian samples. Therefore, the literature in this area is lacking at how ethnicity and/or race, influence the sibling relationship overall, and specifically helping behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine helping behaviors among middle childhood (8-12) and adolescent (13-17) East Indian siblings, using validated instruments. Helping behavior among siblings was categorized into four areas: tangible aid (e.g., giving of monetary gifts), custodial care (e.g., bathing and feeding), emotional support (e.g., praise and support), and information-giving (e.g., giving advice and teaching). The results supported past literature suggesting that female siblings are more helpful than middle childhood or adolescent male siblings. Helping behavior was predominantly predicted by the gender of the helper and the quality of the relationship. Implications for future research are discussed. |
