托福阅读机经背景材料：独生子更幸福

　　Reasons for only children being more contented include not having to compete for parental attention with a sibling.

　　Only children are happier than those with brothers or sisters, according to new research which shows sibling rivalry can have a serious effect on a child's emotional wellbeing.

　　英国一项最新研究显示，独生子女比有兄弟姐妹的孩子更幸福，而且家庭中手足同胞之间的敌意会对孩子的心理健康产生严重的影响。

　　Over half of the children surveyed said they had been bullied by a sibling, and one in three said they had been hit, kicked or pushed on regular occasions. Others complained of name-calling and having their belongings stolen.

　　该研究指出，受调查的孩子中超过半数都表示曾经被兄弟姐妹欺负，还有孩子称曾遭辱骂或者个人物品被偷。

　　The Understanding Society study run by the Institute for Social and Economic Research concluded that happiness declines the more siblings there are in a household.

　　Other reasons for only children being more contented include not having to compete for parental attention or share bedrooms with a sibling, said Gundi Knies, a researcher on the project.

　　Dr Ruth Koppard, a child psychologist, said: "In an average home, the more children, the less privacy for each child. Some love sharing a bedroom with a sibling but they would rather choose to do it than have to do it."

　　Homes with just one child make up nearly half of all families in Britain.

　　The study, to be published on Friday, questioned 2,500 young people. It also found that seven out of 10 teenagers are "very satisfied" with their lives and children from ethnic minorities are happier than their white counterparts.

　　这项研究还显示，不用在父母那里争宠以及不用与兄弟姐妹共享卧室等也是独生子女感觉更加幸福的原因。