Reframing Sibling Relationships: A Conceptual Model of Prosocial Processes In Early Adolescent Development

Background: Sibling relationships are among the most enduring and developmentally influential relationships in youths’ lives, yet their conceptualization remains underdeveloped in social work research on adolescent well-being. Much of child and adolescent research centers on individual children, often overlooking the influence of siblings as a primary and enduring relational context for development. Existing measures of sibling relationship quality rely on narrow, deficit-oriented frameworks (e.g., conflict vs. warmth), limiting our ability to understand how sibling relationships function as contexts for youth resilience and social development. This study advances a strengths-based, process-oriented conceptualization of prosocial sibling relationship quality in early adolescence. This paper presents a refined conceptual model grounded in the lived experiences of youth and caregivers, designed to better capture relational processes that support healthy development.

Methods: We conducted: (1) a content analysis of items from 16 existing sibling relationship quality measures; (2) phenomenologically informed reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with sibling research experts (n=14); as well as (3) caregivers (n=30) and youth ages 8–17 (n=60; 30 sibling dyads). Sibling research expert interviews elicited perspectives on core domains of sibling relationship quality, key relational processes, limitations of existing measurement approaches, and the inclusivity and developmental relevance of conceptual definitions. Caregiver and youth interviews elicited detailed descriptions of lived sibling interactions, with prompts asking participants to describe specific experiences reflecting prosocial relational processes (e.g., helping, supporting, resolving conflict, showing loyalty or trust), how these interactions unfold, and what they meant within the relationship. Data were independently double coded and iteratively refined using constant comparative methods. Concepts were triangulated across analyses to construct a comprehensive model of prosocial sibling relationship quality grounded in diverse family perspectives.

Results: Analyses identify a multidimensional model of prosocial sibling relationship quality that is anchored in relational processes critical to early adolescent development. Core domains include affection, camaraderie, communication, conflict management, co-regulation, empathy, gratitude, respect, support, trust, teamwork, understanding, teaching/learning, and protectiveness/loyalty. Across youth and caregiver narratives, prosocial sibling relationships were characterized not by the absence of conflict, but by the presence of adaptive processes such as repair, co-regulation, and mutual support. The model also highlights gaps in existing measurement, particularly in capturing relational processes central to resilience (e.g., trust, teamwork, teaching/learning).

Conclusions: This study reframes sibling relationships as a critical, yet underrecognized, context for early adolescent development and youth resilience. By shifting from deficit-based to growth and process-oriented conceptualizations, this model provides a foundation for more precise measurement and intervention targeting relational competencies that promote well-being. Specifically, three interrelated dimensions were identified: (1) affective processes (e.g., empathy, gratitude), (2) behavioral processes (e.g., support, conflict resolution), and (3) relational dynamics (e.g., camaraderie, teamwork). Implications for social work research and practice include advancing strengths-based assessment of family relationships, informing interventions that leverage sibling dynamics to support youth mental health and social development, and improving measurement tools applicable to diverse and historically underrepresented populations.