Adolescent-Parent Attachment and Adolescents' Relations with their Peers

Abstract

We hypothesized that adolescents who reported secure attachments with their parents would display higher levels of interpersonal relational competence. Sixty-three 10th-grade pupils completed the Inventory of Parent Attachment and the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire. Despite the fact that attachment is generally conceptualized as a unidimensional construct, we found little concordance between positive aspects of attachment (i.e., trust and communication) and alienation from parents. Although alienation, especially from fathers, was a negative correlate of interpersonal competence, our results indicated little correspondence between parent-child attachment and the positive aspects of adolescent social competence. Both positive and negative dimensions of parent-adolescent attachment were correlated with adolescent involvement in extracurricular peer activity. Parents seen by the adolescents as close and trusting had negative opinions of the adolescents' best friends.

Structure and validity of people in my life: A self-report measure of attachment in late childhood

“…Freeman and Brown (2001) reported that among adolescents with insecure parental attachment, most selected a peer as their primary attachment figure, a finding replicated by other researchers (Hazan and Zeifman, 1994;Schneider and Younger, 1996). Crowell and colleagues (1999) reported correlations between parental attachment and peer attachment to be small (less than 0.35), suggesting that the two forms of attachment are separate constructs and occur within individuals in relatively independent levels.…”

“…Several studies have suggested that in contrast to the early childhood occurrence of parents serving as children's primary (and dominant) attachment figure, specific aspects of attachment gradually shift to peers over the course of mid-childhood to late adolescence (Crowell and Waters, 1994;Fraley and Davis, 1997;Freeman and Brown, 2001; Furman and Wehner, 1997;Hazan and Shaver, 1987;Hazan and Zeifman, 1994;Schneider and Younger, 1996;Sroufe and Waters, 1977). Improved clarification of this maturational process of children's reorienting aspects of attachment from parents to peers could provide insight as to how attachment is associated with healthy and unhealthy emotional, behavioral, and relationship development.…”

A Model for Constructs Relevant to Child Custody Evaluations

“…Separations from a caregiver to whom the child is attached are considered detrimental to development, including problems with peer relationships, aggression, poor school performance, and self-esteem (Ainsworth & Witting, 1969;Marcus & Betzer;O'Koon, 1997;Schneider & Younger, 1996). The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP; 1997) guidelines for custody evaluation state that parent-child attachment should be assessed when determining child placement.…”

Adolescent Deviant Behavior

“…Proponents of the deviance syndrome perspective argue that the same basic theoretical elements explain these various forms of deviant behavior (e.g., Deinbo et al, 1992;Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990;Jessor et al, 1991). The theoretical elements examined represent an integration of social control (Durkheim [1897(Durkheim [ ] 1951Hirschi, 1969;Nye, 1958;Reckless, 1961) and attachment (Bowlby, 1969(Bowlby, , 1973(Bowlby, , 1980Schneider & Younger, 1996) theories. Both theories describe formation and maintenance of an cnduring emotional attachment between children and their parents or primary caretakers.…”