EXPLORING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AMONG YOUNG ADULTS WHO WERE RAISED AS ONLY CHILDREN IN CAPE TOWN

Abstract

It is thought that individuals raised as only children (i.e., children with no siblings) have difficulty forming interpersonal relationships. This study explored how young adults who were raised as only children experienced interpersonal relationships, specifically their relationships with peers, parents and romantic partners. Qualitative interviews were conducted with seven young adults who are only children. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling. Interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis. Participants described their relationships with their parents as good, often referring to them as friends or older siblings. All participants shared that they had limited experience with romantic relationships. Since many of the participants’ parents were divorced, parental divorce may have influenced the parent-child dynamic and deterred participants from entering into romantic relationships. However, even participants whose parents were married reported few romantic relationships and some believed that this may have been due to not having siblings who could have acted as role models in romantic relationships. The young adults also reported that being an only child did not affect their ability to make friends and viewed personality as more influential in forming friendships than being an only child. Whilst participants reported growing up as only children to be a largely positive experience, all expressed a desire to share a sibling bond.