The Development of Prosocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents in the Context of Child-Parent and Sibling Relationships (Review of Modern Foreign Studies)

The study of prosocial behavior is a fairly popular topic of modern foreign psychology. In Russian psychology, the concept of “prosocial behavior” has been used relatively recently, although there are many works devoted to the study of phenomena similar in content: helping behavior, empathy, altruism. This review examines foreign studies published over the past ten years on the formation and development of prosocial behavior in childhood and adolescence, as well as works on the role of child-parent and sibling relationships in the development of prosocial behavior. The complexity and versatility of the phenomenon of prosocial behavior is noted. Various factors of family relationships contributing to the formation and development of prosocial behavior in children and adolescents are analyzed. It is shown that prosocial behavior develops gradually, through the internalization of norms, values, and ideas about responsibility. A necessary condition for the development of prosocial behavior in children is a warm, accepting relationship in the family. The analysis of the research allows us to emphasize that siblings, along with parents, create a unique family context for the development of prosocial abilities in children.

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