A new study has found that while parents may show a tendency to favour daughters and agreeable children, younger siblings generally receive more favourable treatment overall. The review, which examined 30 studies across 14 databases and involved nearly 19,500 participants, sheds light on family dynamics and the impact of parental behaviour.

The study, led by Alexander Jensen, an associate professor at Brigham Young University, US, suggests that differential treatment from parents can have lasting effects on children. While younger siblings often receive more attention or leniency, older children are usually granted more autonomy as they grow, with parents becoming less controlling over time.

The findings challenge traditional beliefs about family dynamics, highlighting how parental preferences for daughters and agreeable children don’t necessarily equate to more favourable overall treatment. The review also points out that this differential treatment can influence children’s development and relationship with their parents in the long term.

“For decades, researchers have known that differential treatment from parents can have lasting consequences for children,” Jensen noted in the study’s findings.