sibling conflicts, gender and parenting patterns in students

Sibling conflicts are one of the most common forms of aggression in families. In this study, the method of child raising, as parents' controlling function and, gender, as one of the factors determining parents' behavioral patterns towards their children, were investigated in relation to sibling conflicts. The study is a correlational one and its population includes all secondary school girl and boy students in the city of Robat Karim during 1390-1391. From the population, a sample of 124 students and their families were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. The data of the study were collected through the questionnaires of «IBR and RIS» Further, a questionnaire was used to gather the participants' demographic information. The results of correlations indicated that sibling conflicts had a negative relationship with the parents' authority and Stringent methods of child raising but it did not have a significant relationship with inconsiderate child raising. The results of stepwise regression analysis showed that the parents' authority child raisin g was the strongest predictor of the extent of sibling conflicts; girls reported more conflicts with both their sisters and their brothers than boys. In addition, the results of the study indicated that boys reported more conflicts with their younger brothers and girls reported more conflicts with their elder brothers and younger sisters. According to the above findings, parents' child birth patterns and children's' genders are significant in predicting the extent of sibling conflict and aggression