Siblings in Greek families: raising a child with disabilities

Anastasia Tsamparli; Assimina Tsibidaki; Petros Roussos

doi:10.1080/15017419.2010.540910

Siblings in Greek families: raising a child with disabilities

Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research

Volume 13 (2011): Issue 1

By: Anastasia Tsamparli, Assimina Tsibidaki and Petros Roussos

Open Access

|Feb 2011

Abstract

The study focuses on siblings of children with disabilities (CD) in order to investigate: (a) basic components of the sibling personality (self-concept, self-esteem, feelings of loneliness, main needs, nature of anxiety, and attitudes), (b) the representation of family functioning and parental figures, and of social environment, and (c) sibling relationship. The sample consisted of 20 families raising a CD and 20 families raising children without disabilities (CWD). The total number of participants was 151 individuals (80 parents and 71 children). The measures used were the following: (a) self-report measures: (1) Self-concept Scale for Children Lipsitt [SC], (2) Children's Loneliness Questionnaire [CLQ], (3) Hare Self-esteem Scale [HSS] and (4) Family Adaptability Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-III); (b) projective tests: (1) Thematic Apperception Test [TAT], (2) Children's Apperception Test [CAT] and (3) Le dessin de famille; and (c) semi-structured but focused interviews with the parents. The findings suggest that there is no statistically significant difference between siblings in the areas of ambivalence towards their brother/sister, self-esteem, self-concept, feelings of loneliness, and the representation of family functioning and the paternal figure. There were statistically significant differences in the way they experienced sibling rivalry, maternal figures, and social environment. The study suggests that siblings of CD react in three ways towards their brother/sister: (a) they are protective, (b) distanced, and (c) present infantile behaviour.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15017419.2010.540910 | Journal eISSN: 1745-3011

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Language: English

Page range: 1 - 19

Submitted on: Nov 25, 2007

Accepted on: Oct 11, 2010

Published on: Feb 1, 2011

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Keywords:

siblings,

disability,

Greek family,

components of sibling personality,

sibling relationship

© 2011 Anastasia Tsamparli, Assimina Tsibidaki, Petros Roussos, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 13 (2011): Issue 1