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I'm Telling! The Content, Context, and Consequences of Children's Tattling on their Siblings
Author(s) -
Bak Irene M.,
Ross Hildy S.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
social development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.078
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1467-9507
pISSN - 0961-205X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9507.1996.tb00087.x
Subject(s) - sibling , psychology , developmental psychology , aggression , context (archaeology) , moral standards , social psychology , paleontology , biology
Tattling on siblings was observed in 40 families with 2‐ and 4‐year‐old children. All but 5 children reported sibling misbehaviour to parents with younger siblings tattling largely to recruit parental help in resolving conflict issues, and older siblings tattling both in the context of conflict and merely to inform parents of their siblings' misbehaviour. Parents rarely reprimanded children for tattling, but either ignored it, or responded to information in tattlers' reports regardless of context or whether older or younger children tattled. Children did not tattle equally on all sibling transgressions, but emphasized physical aggression and property damage, issues that also elicited parental discipline. Tattling is discussed in relation to children's understanding of the dynamics and moral standards of family life.