Psychological Intimate Partner Violence, Insecure Attachment, and Parental Psychological Control from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood

Abstract

We examine if psychological intimate partner violence (pIPV) is predicted by parental psychological control (PPC) via insecure attachment. Our results analyzing longitudinal data from the Child Development Project show that PPC perceived at age 16 predicts insecure attachment at age 18, which then predicts pIPV at age 24. Moreover, the paths with attachment anxiety are consistently significant while ones with attachment avoidance are not. Further, all the paths are significant regardless of the gender of the adolescents and parents, which indicates that PPC is detrimental regardless of the gender of the adolescents or parents. Lastly, PPC perceived at age 16 does not directly predict pIPV at age 24, which suggests that social learning theory of aggression ( Bandura, 1978 ) may not explain the association from PPC to pIPV. Our results suggest that research and practice would benefit by considering PPC as an antecedent of pIPV via insecure attachment from adolescence to emerging adulthood.

Parental psychological control perceived in adolescence predicts jealousy toward romantic partners in emerging adulthood via insecure attachment

“…Given the importance of emerging adulthood in romantic relationships (Arnett, 2006; Fincham & Cui, 2010; Shulman & Connolly, 2013), poor relationship quality in emerging adulthood from PPC perceived in adolescence can add more stress and possibly lead to frustrated relational needs during their later developmental stages. Our results add to the recent literature that has emphasized that PPC thwarts relational needs (Choe et al., 2020; Choe & Read, 2019; Soenens & Vansteenkiste, 2010), which were claimed to be fundamental to everyone (Ryan & Deci, 2000), and future research on PPC can benefit from investigating its relationship outcomes.…”

“…Experiencing jealousy entails low relationship satisfaction and poor relationship quality (Dandurand & Lafontaine, 2014), as jealous individuals may spend their time and energy to question their romantic partners and remove threats such as rivals (Mathes & Severa, 1981) rather than spending quality time with their romantic partners. In other words, on top of experiencing invalidating and ungratifying relationships during adolescence with their psychologically controlling parents (Choe & Read, 2019), adolescents who grew up with psychologically controlling parents may not have satisfying relationships with their significant others in their emerging adulthood (Choe et al., 2020; Díez et al., 2019; Parise et al., 2017). Given the importance of emerging adulthood in romantic relationships (Arnett, 2006; Fincham & Cui, 2010; Shulman & Connolly, 2013), poor relationship quality in emerging adulthood from PPC perceived in adolescence can add more stress and possibly lead to frustrated relational needs during their later developmental stages.…”

“…For example, if a father tells his son that he is disappointed in his son for not succeeding him in the family business, it counts as PPC because (1) this father crossed boundaries of his son by trying to influence a decision that is in his son's personal domain ( intrusiveness ), and (2) the father induced guilt to curb the son's will ( emotional manipulation ). PPC has been conceptualized as disrespectful parenting practices (Barber et al., 2012) that “play tricks on children's minds” (Choe et al., 2020, p. 2).…”

“…Moreover, PPC also may increase avoidance. Parents' repeated attempts to psychologically control children—what to do and even how to feel—would make children uncomfortable with being around their parents (Choe et al., 2020). Psychologically controlling parents disapprove of adolescents' actions and invalidate their feelings for the parents' benefit (Barber, 1996).…”

“…PPC threatens one's core self and identity (Choe et al., 2019), which would motivate adolescents to avoid their parents. Additionally, because psychologically controlling parents give conditional attention to their adolescents in exchange for adolescents' obedience, adolescents may wonder about people's ulterior motives when anyone tries to build a relationship with them (Choe et al., 2020). Hence, adolescents of psychologically controlling parents may not trust that other people genuinely care for them and try to avoid relationships in general to avoid being used as a tool to serve others’ needs.…”