Effects of residential instability on head start children and their relationships with older siblings: Influences of child emotionality and conflict between family caregivers

This study examined the influence that residential dislocations have on chi ld behavior problems, depression, peer competence, cognitive competence, an d the quality of sibling relations in a sample of 70 Head Start children, a ged 32 to 67 months, and their order brothers and sisters, aged 48 to 155 m onths. This was the first study to investigate the sibling relationship in the context of high residential mobility. Information on child characterist ics was obtained from mothers and teachers. Sibling data (warmth/harmony an d conflict) were obtained from coding videotaped interactions. Child emotio nality was found to be an important moderator of the effects of residential mobility on young, poor children and their siblings; caregiver conflict wa s a less powerful moderator of these effects. Residential instability seeme d to compromise the warmth/harmony of the sibling relationship. It was conc luded that the effects of residential instability are complex and cannot be understood without considering child characteristics, such as temperament, and the family context in which the child lives.