Study Finds Having Several Siblings Lowers Divorce Risk

 Posted on September 17, 2014 in Divorce

A study, conducted at Ohio State University, concluded that people who have siblings are more likely to stay married than those who do not. In addition, each sibling a person does have appears to reduce the chances of divorce by 2 percent per sibling.

Researchers used data collected from the General Social Survey. There were 57,000 people interviewed during the years 1972-2012. Each person was interviewed 28 different times, during different periods of his or her life.

The differences appear to have occurred in families with several siblings. The researchers originally believed that having at least one sibling would make a difference in the divorce rate; however, they were surprised to discover this was not the case. In families with only one or two children, there was not a significant difference in the divorce rate when compared to those who were only children in their families.

When trying to determine the reason for the divorce rate difference, the research team evaluated factors such as family structure, socioeconomic status, race, education, the age of the person when married, religious background, and whether or not there were children in the marriage. However, none of these factors were determined to be a reason why those who came from large families have a lower divorce rate.

One of the co-authors of the study, Professor of Sociology Doug Downey, offered one possible reason, concluding, "Growing up in a family with siblings, you develop a set of skills for negotiating … You have to consider other people's points of view, learn how to talk through problems. The more siblings you have, the more opportunities you have to practice those skills."

If you are considering divorce and would like to discuss your situation with an experienced Wheaton family law attorney, contact Stock, Carlson & Asso. LLC  to discuss your legal options.