Explaining the idea behind the apparent rise in this behaviour, psychologists have suggested that overbearing conduct exhibited on the part of siblings is a reaction to the helicopter parenting they experienced.
By micromanaging younger siblings, elder brothers and sisters channel their own anxieties and attempt to exercise influence over other family members.
Commenting on the trend, Californian psychologist, Madeleine Levine, asserted that the behaviour can often have a domino effect within the home, with some siblings even going as far as to install an app which allows them to track their sibling’s movements.
With firsthand experience of this behaviour, 17-year-old Willow from New Jersey told the Wall St. Journal that her older sister’s constant surveillance has become a bone of contention, admitting: “Sometimes I get annoyed and just turn my shoulder and ignore it. But I don't think I've ever told her to just knock it off.”
Further examining the growing trend, Jonathan Caspi, a psychology professor at Montclair State University in New Jersey has penned a book entitled Sibling Aggression which suggests the behaviour stems from a desire to feel close to the sibling without realising they will eventually overstep the familial boundaries.
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