Introduction to the Special Section: Perspectives on Sibling Relationships: Advancing Child Development Research

For the vast majority of individuals, relationships with siblings provide a context for life experiences, yet the influences of these relationships are rarely reflected in studies of child and adolescent development. To encourage researchers to take the role of siblings into account in their studies of child development, this Special Section of Child Development Perspectives presents 3 articles that summarize emerging issues related to how siblings are defined in a world of increasingly diverse family forms and multiple cultures and to the unique role of siblings during the transition to adulthood. The Special Section concludes with a commentary that frames sibling issues within the larger context of research on social relationships and child development across the life course.