Research Says Middle Children More Likely To Be Troublemakers Than Older Siblings

Jul 19, 2018 by apost team

According to a study by an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, second-born children are more likely to be troublemakers than first-born children. Furthermore, boys are between 25 percent and 40 percent more likely to be troublemakers than girls are. Joseph Doyle came to this conclusion about middle children after looking at thousands of brothers in both Europe and the United States.

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First-born children generally have higher IQs, perform better in school and grow up to make more money. Researchers theorize that one reason for this is because the role model for the first-born child is the parents while for the second-born child, it is the slightly older sibling.

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Doyle says it is difficult to tease apart the different factors to determine exactly why some middle or second-born children seem to go off the rails. It could be a combination of sibling influence and less investment by the parents. Furthermore, not every middle child is affected in this way. The trouble that the middle child gets into might simply be limited to trouble in school, or it could involve criminal behavior. However, Doyle pointed out that these are very broad patterns of family behavior.

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There are several things parents can do to help. One is being mindful of the potential influence of the older sibling and making sure the second child looks to the parents instead. Parents can also be aware of peers and other influences. Knowing how strong they can be, parents can try to counter them as necessary. Taking these steps might help guide the middle child away from trouble and toward success.

Every child is different, and birth order is no guarantee of what a child's life will be like. However, mindful parents can help guide their children to greater success. Let us know your own birth order and whether you think second-born children have a tougher path to success than their older siblings.