Sibling rivalry is among the greatest sources of stress in families, the least discussed if not the best-kept secret (Meyerhoff 1993). Conflicts, aggressive actions and harsh behavior among children, usually only a year or two apart, are a cause of deep torment and mental discomfort to parents that the matter is seldom discussed openly. Only when it becomes severe that it is brought up but in isolation and often with a lot of shame.

People in society assume that members of the family will love and get along with all other members. They generally expect positive feelings between spouses, between parents and children and among children (Jacobson 1999). It is a fact, however, that most members of a family at least some times do not feel very loving towards another member. And observation shows that the closer the family members are, the more intense their interaction with one another. Western...
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