Siblings, Half-Siblings, and Stepsiblings

Abstract

Although the bulk of stepfamily research focuses on children, only minimal attention has been paid to the potential changes that can occur as a result of adding stepsiblings and half-siblings to children’s family constellations. Many researchers identify a target child when collecting and analyzing stepfamily data so little is known regarding how siblings may be differentially affected by remarriage. In this chapter we present sibling definitions, a brief summary of the research on siblings in stepfamilies, and suggestions for future research.