Firstborns are more cohesive and successful in families, according to science. But what about those who come after them? Riot is certainly their symbol.
It has long been believed that second-born children are troublemakers in the family. Now, there is scientific evidence to support this theory.
MIT study
According to a study by MIT economist Joseph Doyle, second-born children are actually more likely to for rebellious behaviorThis is doubled for boys.
"I found the results to be remarkable," Doyle told NPR. "Children who are born second, compared to their siblings, are more likely to end up in home detention or parental discipline, more likely to fail school, or have poorer grades."
How to deal with the middle child in their upbringing
Role models
But, it is likely that the cause of this crisis is, in fact, their older brothers, but how?
- Younger siblings always tend to model the behavior of their older siblings as they represent a role model and a source of pride for them. They rely on imitating them in their affairs, especially those that are inappropriate and bad, as they consider them without fault.
- “Firstborns have role models, adults. Secondborns, those born later, have role models, irrational two-year-olds, you know, their older siblings,” Doyle added.
- To reach his conclusion, Doyle analyzed data sets from families in both Denmark and Florida. He wrote that despite significant differences in geographic regions and environments, the results were “remarkably consistent.”
“In families with two or more children, second-born boys are 20 to 40 percent more likely to be disciplined at school and enter the domestic justice system than first-born boys, even when comparing siblings. The data allow us to examine a range of potential mechanisms, and the evidence excludes differences in health at birth and the quality of schools children are selected from.”
The reason is parents
Much of this is due to the fact that fathers spend a little more time with their firstborn than they do with subsequent births, Doyle added.
It's up to you.
But there's no reason to lose hope. If you're the second child, you still have your hopes and dreams. You still have the free will to be the perfect person you want to be. To build your ambitions, to achieve your goals, to develop your business. You just have to focus. Or you can use science to blame your older brother or sister for your bad behavior.
