Second-born children, especially boys, more likely to be troublemakers
A recent study conducted by researchers from leading institutions, including MIT, Northwestern University, and the University of Florida, has placed a spotlight on second-born children, with a specific focus on second-born boys.
It’s no secret that family dynamics can vary wildly and that birth order can play a role in shaping a person’s behavior, but did you know that your place in the sibling pecking order may have potential implications tied to your likelihood of getting into trouble? A recent study conducted by researchers from leading institutions, including MIT, Northwestern University, and the University of Florida, has placed a spotlight on second-born children, with a specific focus on second-born boys.
“Second-born children are 20 to 40 percent more likely to face disciplinary issues in school and become involved in the criminal justice system when compared to their first-born sibling,” the study outlines.
MIT economist Joseph Doyle, a contributor to the research paper, expressed his surprise at the results during an NPR interview. The data suggested that, in comparison to first-borns, second-born children displayed a noticeably higher propensity for disciplinary action and oversight.
“We do find that parental time investment measured by time out of the labor force is higher for first-borns at ages 2-4, suggesting that the arrival of a second-born child extends early-childhood parental investments for first-borns,” Doyle said.
The research, conducted in Denmark and Florida, considered several key factors including early health, parental investments, quality of schooling, and sibling dynamics. Interestingly, the outcomes were remarkably consistent across the two diverse locations.
There were some major takeaways from the study. One was the finding that second-born children, particularly between ages two and four, were more likely to be placed in daycare and had mothers who were employed, as compared to their older siblings. Early childhood, typically monopolized by first-born children, is disrupted with the arrival of a second child. Parental attention is then divided among siblings, with potential implications for behavior and discipline.
Doyle elaborates, “The firstborn has role models, who are adults. And the second, later-born children have role models who are slightly irrational two-year-olds, you know, their older siblings.”
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