The Effects of Parental Separation and Divorce on Closeness in the Adult Sibling Relationship

Sibling relationships are one of the most important relationships in a person’s life. Approximately 85% of the United States population has at least one sibling. Divorce has also become prevalent in the United States. While researchers have often examined the parent-child relationship after parental divorce and the effect of divorce on young children, little research has been done on the effect of divorce on the adult sibling relationship. The goal of this study is to examine the effect of parental divorce on adult siblings. Nineteen participants from across the United States participated in answering a self-reported survey that inquired about their relationship with their sibling prior to their parent’s divorce as well as after their parent’s divorce. This research explored whether gender, living situation, time spent with sibling, time passed since parent’s divorce, or climate of parent’s divorce affected siblings closeness