Pathways to Adult Sibling Estrangement: Perspectives of Estranged U.S. Adults

Objective Determine how estranged adults narrate pathways to adult sibling estrangement. Background A small but meaningful share of adult sibling ties end in no‐contact estrangement, yet existing research has yet to comprehensively determine the pathways to this relationship dynamic. Method A total of 39 in‐depth interviews with sibling‐estranged adults are analyzed using family system and life‐course theory. Results Respondents describe two interlocking pathways to estrangement: one through the family system and one through sibling behavior. In the family system theme, estrangement pathways were identified as: (1) parental partisanship, through manipulation and favoritism; and (2) collateral damage, in which the sibling tie became a casualty of the respondent's parental estrangement. In the sibling behavior theme: (1) absent foundations, when a meaningful childhood bond never solidified; (2) destabilizing conduct, in the form of substance use, mental illness, or erratic behavior; and (3) risk containment, in which the respondent treated a sibling as a direct threat to self, household, or safety. Most respondents described both pathways, a co‐occurrence we term “layered estrangement.” Conclusion Adult sibling estrangement is in some part a derivative process, wherein parental factors engender both the structure and the quality of the sibling tie. As such, parents shape, directly or indirectly, the dynamics under which sibling ties dissolve in adulthood. Implications Researchers and clinicians should treat sibling and parent–child estrangement as related processes situated within broader family dynamics.