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Children's experiences of sibling relationships after parental separation: A case study approach

The current study examined children’s experiences of sibling relationships following parental separation. Areas investigated included the nature of sibling relationships in separated families, how siblings provide care and support to each other, and how they view sibling relationships in general. To obtain a holistic, context-sensitive understanding of sibling relationships, the study involved a multimethod, multi-source, case study approach that included interviews, sentence completion items, drawings, and vignettes. Three families participated in approximately five to six sessions each. Children and parents participated in individual sessions, and the children participated in one session with their siblings. Through cross-case, qualitative analyses, several salient themes relevant to sibling relationships in separated families were identified. Such themes include the importance of context in understanding sibling relationships (e.g., developmental phase of sibling relationship, custody arrangements, co-parenting relationship); the role of negotiating time with each parent; the impact of physical context; how shared experiences might shape sibling relationships in separated families; and the indirect ways in which siblings support each other. Relevant research and clinical implications when working with children are discussed. / Graduate / 0622 / 0620

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/5173
Date24 January 2014
CreatorsBush, Jacqueline Elaine
ContributorsEhrenberg, Marion
Source SetsUniversity of Victoria
LanguageEnglish, English
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
RightsAvailable to the World Wide Web

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