A UK study has claimed that only-children are more contented than those with siblings because they do not have to fight for their parents' attention。

　　Thirty-one percent of children said they were hit, kicked or pushed by a sibling "quite a lot" or "a lot." Almost a third of teenagers said they were called "nasty names" and 18 percent said their belongings had been taken by a brother or sister. In all, 54 percent of siblings said they had been involved in some form of bullying。

　　Figures from a study tracking the lives of 100,000 people in 40,000 British homes suggest only-children could be happier because they receive all the attention from their parents and do not have to fight for praise or assistance。

　　The conclusion was supported by Hollywood actress Natalie Portman: "I would never have been an actress if I weren't an only child because my parents would never have let me be the star of the family at the expense of another child."

　　University of Warwick professor Dieter Wolke said: "from anecdotal reports, quarreling siblings increase stress for parents, and some just give up intervening or intervene inconsistently, leaving the field wide open for the bully sibling."

　　澳大利亚《每日电讯报》14日报道称，英国一项研究发现，比起家有兄弟姐妹的孩子，独生子女的生活更加幸福，因为后者不必为争得父母的宠爱而明争暗斗。

　　研究报告中，31%的孩子称受到兄弟姐妹拳打脚踢推推搡搡的次数“较多”甚至“非常多”。而几乎三分之一的青少年反应自己常被兄弟姐妹冠以“恶意绰号”，其中有18%的孩子报告称哥哥姐姐会夺己所爱。总体来说，54%的“为姐为哥”者承认自己曾“恃强凌弱”。

　　该研究跟踪调查了来自4万个英国家庭的10万人口，调查结果表明，独生子女可能更为幸福，因为他们能够从父母处获得更多的注意力，且不必为得到表扬、获得鼓励而明争暗斗。

　　好莱坞女星娜塔莉-波特曼拥护该结论道：“如果我不是独生子女，我就永远不会成为一个女演员。因为父母不可能为了让我成为一个明星，而牺牲掉另外一个孩子的前途。”

　　英国华威大学教授迪特尔-沃克说道：“从一些有趣的报告中我们发现，兄弟姐妹吵成一团会让父母头痛不已，一些家长于是放弃‘调停’，或者减少‘调停’的次数，致使大欺小的现象屡屡发生。”