Attachment styles in maltreated children: a comparative study.
The study compares the emotional impact of maltreatment on the attachment styles in three groups of children aged 6-12 years: children of drug-user fathers (n = 76), physically abused children (n = 41), neglected children (n = 38); non-abused/non-neglected children (n = 35)--control group. The secure style characterized 52% of the children of drug-user fathers and the insecure style characterized the other 48% (anxious/ambivalent or avoidant); physically abused children were characterized mainly by the avoidant attachment style, and neglected children by the anxious/ambivalent style. The conclusion is that physically abused children are at risk of antisocial behavior and sustained suspicion towards others; neglected children are at risk of social withdrawal, social rejection and feelings of incompetence, and children of drug-user fathers may be at risk of behavioral problems and drug use in adolescence.
Finzi
R
R
Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel. rikifnz@post.tau.ac.il
Cohen
O
O
Sapir
Y
Y
Weizman
A
A
D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires