NCJ Number
147489
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer 1993) Pages: 105-120
Date Published
1993
Length
16 pages
Annotation
In-depth interviews were conducted with 75 women who had recently left abusive relationships in order to test the traumatic bonding theory, which holds that strong emotional attachments are formed by intermittent abuse.
Abstract
The dependent variables used here were attachment, self- esteem, and trauma symptoms, while the independent variables included the Conflict Tactics Scale, Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory, intermittency of abuse, power, investment, woman's history, finances, and Social Desirability Scale. The three dependent variables showed strong associations with each other both at the time of the initial interview and at a follow-up session held six months later. Attachment persisted for these women despite their remaining outside the abusive relationship. Variables which assessed relationship dynamics, especially intermittency of abuse and changes in the power balance, were the strongest predictors of postseparation attachment. 3 tables and 56 references