Middle child syndrome is the feeling of exclusion by middle children, due directly to their placement in their family's birth order. This alleged effect is supposed to occur because the first child is more prone to receiving privileges and responsibilities (by virtue of being the oldest), while the youngest in the family is more likely to receive indulgences. The second child (or middle child) no longer has their status as the baby and is left with no clear role in the family, or a feeling of being "left out". There is notably often a negative connotation surrounding the term "middle child syndrome." It is debated whether the family dynamic imposes this negative attitude or if middle children develop it themselves, or if it exists at all. Currently, the APA dictionary defines it as a hypot