Latoya Campbell, Outlook Youth Writer

"Are you sure you two related?" I asked as I waited for the two to end yet another squabble over some trivial matter. For some reason they just couldn't get along they are only two years apart. Matthew and Junior looked at me quite surprised, then admitted, "We don't really hate each other; at least not most of the time. We just have a hard time getting along sometimes because we're so different."

While many children consider themselves the best of friends with their siblings, it's very common for brothers and sisters to fight, or rally between adoring and detesting one another! Sibling rivalry is jealousy, competition and fighting between brothers and sisters. The reasons for this rivalry are the same for all ages. Some are seeking their parents' attention, others are jealous. Another reason for sibling rivalry is that they may not know positive ways to get attention from their siblings so they start fights.

Believe it or not, it doesn't only apply to children. If the problem isn't solved at that level, it goes into the teenage years. One would think that at that age the bickering and fighting would end, but that is not always the case. Outlook Youth spoke to Tashna, who was eager to pour out her daily 'sibling dilemmas'. We then asked some young adults what they thought were good ways of keeping a healthy sibling relationship.

DAILY DILEMMA:

Tashna (18): "My younger brother and I are always fighting. My parents don't even bother to get in the way; they claim that we're old enough to work things out and get along with each other. Personally, I love him to death but he doesn't seem to think so; he prefers to argue with me for the most trivial of reasons."

How do you keep the relationship between you and your siblings from falling apart?

Jamie (19):

"First, you should tell him how you feel if you haven't as yet. It seems to me that you may not even be the object of his anger. It may be sourced from somewhere else - school, work or even peers - and, unfortunately, he is taking it out on you."

Kimron (21):

"Most Jamaicans find it hard to express their emotions verbally to family members, especially in the case of siblings. Gone are the days (if they were ever there to begin with) when a brother would console his big sis and say 'I love you ...' There are other ways of expressing it, though; for instance, goodwill gestures which reassure your sibling that regardless of the fact you may never utter the words, you really love them."

Andre (17):

"Maybe he's jealous because he's not getting enough attention. My siblings are like that. I try to spend as much time as possible with them. My schedule's really busy, though, but I know they appreciate the time I spend helping them with homework or playing a card game with them.

"I think that sibling squabbles are quite healthy. It would be quite boring if I got along with my sister all of the time. We get on badly some of the times, but at the end of it, we know that we're family by default and nothing can change that. Makes no sense disliking each other. When it gets too out of hand, though, there's always someone who will point it out and then we try to bridge the gaps."

For the most interesting teen issues and styles, get your copy of Youthlink magazine on newsstands on Tuesday.