NCJ Number
246733
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: March/April 2014 Pages: 164-178
Date Published
April 2014
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This paper presents the results of a review of studies that examined the association between indicators of attachment, parental bonds, and physically aggressive and violent behavior.
Abstract
This paper discusses the results of a literature review of studies that examined the association between indicators of attachment, parental bonds, and physically aggressive and violent behavior. These studies were conducted as a result of previous research showing that attachment could be used as a potential predictor of violence and aggressive behavior. The previous research has identified certain other factors as potential predictors of violence and aggressive behavior, including lack of empathy, emotionality, peer rejection, physiological underarousal, and hostile attribution biases. The studies included in this review fell into five categories based on the indicators of attachment used: studies of parental loss or separation; studies of attachment categories; studies employing a continuous measure of attachment; studies employing other measures of parental bonding; and studies measuring parental sensitivity or responsiveness. The findings from these five categories of studies are discussed in this paper. The findings suggest that 1) parent interventions that improve attachment relations with older children or adolescents might work to reduce or prevent violence; 2) parental loss and separation appear to be understudied but they may contribute to the level of violence; and 3) children categorized as "secure" attachment are likely to be less aggressive than insecure-avoidant children but more aggressive than insecure-resistant children. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed. Table, appendix, and references