For young people, having a loving sibling encourages behavious such as kindness and generosity and helps protect against delinquency and depression, says a new study.
In fact, the influence of siblings is twice as strong as parents when it comes to good behavious such as being nice to people, volunteering, and doing favors for others, USA Today reported.
Having a sister seemed even more beneficial than having a brother, the study found, perhaps because females more often adopt a caregiving or listening role, according to the researchers.
"Siblings matter even more than parents do in terms of promoting being kind to others and being generous," added study author Laura Padilla-Walker, an assistant professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University.
She and her colleagues examined 395 Seattle families with two more children, including at least one child between ages 10-14, USA Today reported.
The study was published in the Journal of Family Psychology.
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