Key points

• Despite cultural myths, there are enormous variations in sibling closeness and connection.
• Children growing up in the same household with the same parents can have totally different experiences.
• Sibling estrangement is often a consequence of adult child-parent estrangement.
• It appears that the chances of sibling estrangement increase with age.

Key points

• Estrangement between brothers and sisters in adulthood is not rare.
• Sibling estrangement can also occur in families in which parents and children have become estranged
• While some long for reconnection, others choose to maintan distance.