Quality of Parent/Adolescent Attachment and Aggression in Young Adolescents

Simons, Kevin J.; Paternite, Carl E.; Shore, Cecilia

doi:10.1177/0272431601021002003

Cited by 101 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Recent research has indicated that attachment relationships with mothers and fathers are differentially related to outcomes. For example, Simons, Paternite, and Shore (2001) found that attachment to mothers but not with fathers was predictive of adolescent self-esteem, views of others, and aggression. Marcus and Betzer (1996) also found attachment to fathers to be the strongest predictor of antisocial behavior.…”

Section: Limitations Of Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Parent and Peer Attachment in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence

Nickerson

Nagle

2005

The Journal of Early Adolescence

376

240

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This study investigated child and early adolescent relationships with parents and peers within the theoretical framework of attachment. A cross-sectional sample of 279 fourth, sixth, and eighth graders completed two self-report measures assessing attachment to parents and friends. Fourth graders described more trusting and communicative relationships with parents than sixth or eighth graders. Older early adolescents turned to peers to fulfill attachment functions of proximity seeking and safe haven more often than children, although all participants reported that parents primarily served secure base functions. Females reported more trust, communication, and overall attachment to peers than males. Grade, sex, and views of attachment relationships to parents and peers predicted the introduction of friends into the attachment hierarchy. Participants who viewed relationships with parents as less secure were more likely to select peers to fulfill attachment functions. The important and complementary roles of parents and peers and their implications are discussed.Keywords: attachment; parents; peers; intimacy; transition The transition in parent and peer relationships from late childhood to early adolescence is a dramatic one. With the onset of early adolescence, there is increased conflict in the parent-child relationship and early adolescents perceive their parents as less supportive (Ammaniti, van Ijzendoorn, Speranza, 223 The research presented in this article is based on the first author's doctoral dissertation. The authors wish to thank the students and the school districts whose participation made thiswork possible.We are also grateful to

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Section: Limitations Of Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Parent and Peer Attachment in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence

Nickerson

Nagle

2005

The Journal of Early Adolescence

376

240

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“…These confounding family environment factors may account for many of the links with psychopathology that are seen in studies of harsh discipline, and raise the possibility that it is not necessarily harsh discipline per se that is harmful. This study examined three other measures of parenting, warmth, quality of attachment, and firm control, that are known to relate to adolescent outcomes (Jones, Forehand, & Beach, 2000;Matza, Kupersmidt, & Glenn, 2001;Simons, Paternite, & Shore, 2001), and thus may act as alternative explanations of the effects of harsh discipline. Another limitation of the research on parental discipline has been its consideration of physical abuse as a dichotomous variable (e.g., Williamson, Borduin, & Howe, 1991).…”

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confidence: 99%

Use of harsh physical discipline and developmental outcomes in adolescence

Bender

Allen

McElhaney

et al. 2007

Develop. Psychopathol.

169

133

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A history of exposure to harsh physical discipline has been linked to negative outcomes for children, ranging from conduct disorder to depression and low self-esteem. The present study extends this work into adolescence, and examines the relationship of lifetime histories of harsh discipline to adolescents' internalizing and externalizing symptoms and to their developing capacities for establishing autonomy and relatedness in family interactions. Adolescent and parent reports of harsh discipline, independently coded observations of conflictual interactions, and adolescent reports of symptoms were obtained for 141 adolescents at age 16. Both parents' use of harsh discipline was related to greater adolescent depression and externalizing behavior, even when these effects were examined over and above the effects of other parenting measures known to account for these symptoms. Adolescents exposed to harsh discipline from mothers were also less likely to appear warm and engaged during an interaction task with their mothers. It is suggested that a history of harsh discipline is associated not only with social and emotional functioning, but also with the developmental task of autonomy and relatedness.One of the central debates within the literature on parenting behavior concerns the implications of harsh physical discipline. Although generally accepted that more serious forms of physical abuse are associated with negative outcomes, there is less consensus about the larger continuum of discipline behaviors. Some researchers believe that mild to moderate behaviors, such as spanking and slapping, are not harmful for children (Baumrind, Larzelere, & Cowan, 2002), whereas others argue these behaviors predict a more negative trajectory (Gershoff, 2002). Furthermore, there is little evidence about whether harsh parental discipline is associated with developmental progress during the adolescent years. To date, most studies have examined the behavioral and emotional sequelae of harsh punishment and physical abuse during childhood (Strassberg, Dodge, Pettit, & Bates, 1994;Toth, Manly, & Cicchetti, 1992), rather than the developmental course as it unfolds in adolescence. The goal of this paper is twofold: to examine the links between harsh is parental discipline and developing autonomy and relatedness in the parent-adolescent NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript relationship, and to examine the relationship between harsh parental discipline and selected behavioral outcomes outside of the family context. This paper first focuses on difficulties in achieving a primary task of social development during adolescence, establishing autonomy while maintaining a sense of relatedness with parents, as a possible correlate of harsh physical discipline. Many contemporary theorists recognize this task as a defining aspect of the parent-adolescent relationship and a marker of healthy relationships into adulthood Silverberg & Gondoli, 1996). The ability to handle this challenge has been linked to high...

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“…Kerns et al (1996) noted that securely attached fifth-graders were more accepted by their peers, whereas Granot and Mayseless (2001) found that insecurely attached fourth-and fifth-graders were more rejected by peers. , Finnegan, Hodges, and Perry (1996) found that third-grade to seventh-grade boys who reported greater use of preoccupied (i.e., insecure-ambivalent) coping strategies with their attachment figure when faced with everyday stressors requiring emotion regulation were more likely nominated by their peers as immature and victimized and used a hovering peer entry style.Attachment and psychosocial adjustment-Children who feel secure and supported by their primary caregivers have been shown to have higher levels of perceived competence in multiple domains (Kerns et al, 1996), have higher self-esteem (Simons, Paternite, & Shore, 2001) and feel less lonely (Kerns et al, 1996). Furthermore, relatively lower security has been associated with both internalizing and externalizing problems (Granot & Mayseless, 2001; McCartney, Owen, Booth, Clarke-Stewart, & Vandell, 2003).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Attachment, Friendship, and Psychosocial Functioning in Early Adolescence

Rubin

Dwyer

Booth‐LaForce

et al. 2004

The Journal of Early Adolescence

308

209

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Fifth-graders' (N = 162; 93 girls) relationships with parents and friends were examined with respect to their main and interactive effects on psychosocial functioning. Participants reported on parental support, the quality of their best friendships, self-worth, and perceptions of social competence. Peers reported on aggression, shyness and withdrawal, and rejection and victimization. Mothers reported on psychological adjustment. Perceived parental support and friendship quality predicted higher global self-worth and social competence and less internalizing problems. Perceived parental support predicted fewer externalizing problems, and paternal (not maternal) support predicted lower rejection and victimization. Friendship quality predicted lower rejection and victimization for only girls. Having a supportive mother protected boys from the effects of low-quality friendships on their perceived social competence. High friendship quality buffered the effects of low maternal support on girls' internalizing difficulties.Keywords friendship; parent-child relationships; attachment; social withdrawal; aggression From the earliest years of childhood, children develop significant relationships with family members and, with increasing age, their peers. Over the years, researchers have examined the influence that children's experiences with these relationships may have on their functioning. Links have been established between parent-child relationship quality and adjustment during the pre-, elementary, and middle school years as well as later adolescence (see Rubin & Burgess, 2002, for a relevant review). Likewise, aspects of children's peer relationships and friendships have been associated with psychosocial functioning. Recently, researchers have examined relations between relationship systems and the manner in which experiences in both familial and extrafamilial relationships may interact to influence psychosocial functioning. The focus of this study was on parent-youth adolescent and friendship relationships and whether and how friendships serve to moderate the association between parent-adolescent relationship quality and psychosocial functioning. NIH Public Access An Attachment FrameworkAlthough there are a number of ways in which relationships with parents may influence relationships with friends and psychosocial functioning, our framework in the present study is based on premises drawn from attachment theory. According to attachment theorists, the child who receives responsive and sensitive parenting from the primary caregiver forms an internal working model of that caregiver as trustworthy and dependable when needed and develops a model of the self as someone who is worthy of such care (Bowlby, 1973(Bowlby, , 1982. Through experience with a responsive and sensitive caregiver, the child learns reciprocity in social interactions (Elicker, Englund, & Sroufe, 1992) and a set of specific social skills that can be used in relationships that extend beyond the child-caregiver relationship. Also, the securely attac...

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Quality of Parent/Adolescent Attachment and Aggression in Young Adolescents

Cited by 101 publications

References 37 publications

Parent and Peer Attachment in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence

Parent and Peer Attachment in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence

Use of harsh physical discipline and developmental outcomes in adolescence

Attachment, Friendship, and Psychosocial Functioning in Early Adolescence

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