by Bernice Sorensen:
http://www.onlychild.org.uk/

From Amazon.co.uk: "This book examines the only-child experience of growing up without siblings and how it affects different life-stages. "Little" is published on the growing phenomenon of only children. It includes comparative research findings. It provides insights for psychotherapeutic practice.This book examines only-child experience in global perspective and offers an insight into the dilemmas and challenges only-children face as adults. Explored from both a social and psychological perspective, it reveals the complexity and multidimensional nature of the private and public worlds of the only-child.

From the Author: This book presents accounts of the experience of growing up without siblings across the world. These stories offer a range of only-child voices which speak of the challenges and differences only-children face throughout their lives. The stories were collected through interviews and this website and they give witness to the lives of adult onlies. The complexity and multidimensional nature of the private, personal and public worlds of the only-child are
discussed from a social and psychological perspective. The book also offers important insights for people in the helping professions working with child and adult only-children. Above all the book demonstrates the importance of witnessing and existential validation for only-children whilst providing understanding to help guide parents and partners of only-children.

This site is dedicated to understanding, explaining and discussing the types of situations that only children are faced with as they grow into adults. Whether or not you are an only child yourself, you are probably aware of the stigmas associated with this particular birth order. Some only children tend to exemplify the stereotype more than others, but regardless of how life challenges are handled outwardly, in general only children often experience some of the same types of situations as they mature.