Parents of the Internet, we have news. We are not sure if it’s good or bad, but it is certainly interesting.
If you’re anything like us, you may look at your children and wonder, is it just me, or is my second born child much more difficult that my perfect angelic eldest?
Well, no. It’s not just you.
Your second-born child is a definitely a monster (so are ours) and we’ve got science to back us up.
A recent study out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology investigated the impact of birth order on delinquency.
The study looked at an enormous number of children in data sets from the US state of Florida and from Denmark.
“We find that second-born boys are substantially more likely to exhibit delinquency problems compared to their older sibling,” the study’s authors wrote.
Of particular note in the study, second-born boys are involved with the juvenile justice system at a rate 40 per cent higher than first-borns.
This rate is reflected in school suspension rates, though truancy rates are found to be about the same between first and second-borns.
The tendency towards delinquency was most notable in families with two boys; adding a girl into the mix brought delinquency rates down.
Importantly, there was consistency in the study’s findings across the data from Florida and Denmark - two markedly different environments.
But, why?
Any clues about what could be causing this phenomenon in second-born boys?
Wait for it. You’ve probably guessed what’s coming.
It’s the time and attention of parents dedicated to their children. Yep. It’s our fault.
First-borns get more attention from their parents. Second-borns get less.
“Second-born children tend to have less maternal attention than do their older siblings,” the authors write. They explain that firstborns get the benefit of their mother’s maternity leave following their own births and following their sibling’s birth.
The study is not to say that all second-born children are going to end up doing time in juvy. But, it may answer that secret question some of us are trying not to ask out loud; ‘why can’t you be more like your older brother?’
(Source: Kidspot)
If you’re anything like us, you may look at your children and wonder, is it just me, or is my second born child much more difficult that my perfect angelic eldest?
Well, no. It’s not just you.
Your second-born child is a definitely a monster (so are ours) and we’ve got science to back us up.
A recent study out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology investigated the impact of birth order on delinquency.
The study looked at an enormous number of children in data sets from the US state of Florida and from Denmark.
“We find that second-born boys are substantially more likely to exhibit delinquency problems compared to their older sibling,” the study’s authors wrote.
Of particular note in the study, second-born boys are involved with the juvenile justice system at a rate 40 per cent higher than first-borns.
 |
| “Second-born boys are substantially more likely to exhibit delinquency problems compared to their older sibling.” |
This rate is reflected in school suspension rates, though truancy rates are found to be about the same between first and second-borns.
The tendency towards delinquency was most notable in families with two boys; adding a girl into the mix brought delinquency rates down.
Importantly, there was consistency in the study’s findings across the data from Florida and Denmark - two markedly different environments.
But, why?
Any clues about what could be causing this phenomenon in second-born boys?
Wait for it. You’ve probably guessed what’s coming.
It’s the time and attention of parents dedicated to their children. Yep. It’s our fault.
First-borns get more attention from their parents. Second-borns get less.
“Second-born children tend to have less maternal attention than do their older siblings,” the authors write. They explain that firstborns get the benefit of their mother’s maternity leave following their own births and following their sibling’s birth.
The study is not to say that all second-born children are going to end up doing time in juvy. But, it may answer that secret question some of us are trying not to ask out loud; ‘why can’t you be more like your older brother?’
(Source: Kidspot)
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