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An Examination of the Associations between Parent-Child Attachment Security, Negativity, Aggression, and Delinquency

Previous research has shown that children who are more securely attached are less likely to engage in risky behavior or to resort to negativity and aggression. The purpose of this project was to test whether the relationship between child attachment security and delinquency is explained by negativity and aggression. Data were drawn from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development study of Early Child Care which followed a sample of 1140 families from birth through the school years. For this study we examined a behavioral measure of attachment that was administered at 36 months, child negativity and aggression were rated at first grade, and delinquency and risky behavior were rated at fifth grade. Pearson’s correlations revealed that less securely attached children were more likely to display negativity and delinquent behavior. Furthermore, more aggressive children were more likely to display delinquent behavior and risky behavior. Attachment security was not significantly associated with aggression or risky behavior. In addition, negativity was not significantly associated with delinquency or risky behavior. To examine whether negativity and aggression might explain the significant association between security and delinquency we tested a multiple mediation model in MPlus. This analysis revealed significant direct effects between security and negativity, and between aggression and delinquency, but no significant mediation. The present study is among the first to provide a longitudinal examination of the associations between attachment security, negativity, aggression and delinquency. Future research could examinee other potential mediators of the association between secure attachment and delinquency.
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Conference Proceeding

Normative Trends in Children's Perceptions of Availability and Utilization of Attachment Figures in Middle Childhood

02/01/2006

Two studies addressed the normative aspects of attachments to mothers and fathers in middle childhood. Using both cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons, we tested the hypothesis that children show no changes in perceptions of availability of attachment figures across the later middle childhood years, but do utilize attachment figures less at older ages. The first study included a cross-sectional comparison of third and sixth graders, and the second study was a follow-up on the third graders when they were in fifth grade. Both studies suggested a decline in utilization, but not in perceptions of availability of attachment figures within the later middle childhood years. Study 1 also demonstrated that children turn to parents to meet attachment needs, and peers to meet companionship needs. Study 2 examined individual differences in attachment by exploring how changes in attachment to mothers from third to fifth grade were related to children's social adjustment at fifth grade. Increases in perceptions of availability forecast better emotional and behavioral regulation at fifth grade. Changes in utilization of attachment figures showed both linear and nonlinear relations to regulation.
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Article

Attachment-based Assessments of Parent-child Relationships in Middle Childhood

09/01/2000

Although a number of measures have been developed to assess parent–child attachments, validity data on middle-childhood measures are lacking. The present study tested attachment-based measures of parent-child relationships designed for the later middle-childhood years (9–12 years of age). Self-reports from children assessed perceptions of security and avoidant and preoccupied coping. Some children also completed a projective interview assessing attachment state of mind. Mothers and fathers reported their willingness to serve as an attachment figure and were rated for responsiveness. Data were collected from a cross-sectional sample of 3rd and 6th graders and their parents. A 2-year follow-up on the younger sample provided data on the stability of the measures. There were modest associations across the different measures and moderate to high stability. The attachment-based measures were also related to teacher ratings of children's school adaptation.
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Article

Emotion Regulation as a Mediator of Associations Between Mother-Child Attachment and Peer Relationships in Middle Childhood

01/01/2000

Although a link between attachment and peer relationships has been established, the mechanisms that account for this link have not been identified. The 1st goal of this study was to test emotion regulation as a mediator of this link in middle childhood. The 2nd goal was to examine how different aspects of emotion regulation relate to peer competence. Fifth graders completed self-report and semiprojective measures to index mother-child attachment, mothers reported on children's emotionality and coping strategies, and teachers reported on children's peer competence. Constructive coping was related to both attachment and peer competence, and mediated the association between attachment and peer competence, suggesting that emotion regulation is one of the mechanisms accounting for attachment-peer links. Constructive coping was more strongly associated with peer competence for children high on negative emotionality than for children low on negative emotionality.
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Article