Linking family violence and children's trauma symptoms through attachment and emotional insecurity
Background: Attachment theory and emotional security theory offer distinct but compatible accounts to explain the consequences for children growing up in families with child abuse and neglect (CAN) and intimate partner violence (IPV). Objective: We examined the unique contributions of attachment sec...
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Acta Psychologica |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000169182500280X |
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| author | Anna L.C. van Loon-Dikkers Bas Tierolf Carlo Schuengel Majone J. Steketee |
| author_facet | Anna L.C. van Loon-Dikkers Bas Tierolf Carlo Schuengel Majone J. Steketee |
| author_sort | Anna L.C. van Loon-Dikkers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Attachment theory and emotional security theory offer distinct but compatible accounts to explain the consequences for children growing up in families with child abuse and neglect (CAN) and intimate partner violence (IPV). Objective: We examined the unique contributions of attachment security and emotional insecurity in explaining associations between CAN and IPV, on the one hand, and children's post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), on the other. We examined to what extent attachment security and emotional insecurity mediate the relationship between CAN and IPV and PTSS. Participants and setting: Participants were 718 Dutch parents reporting about their children (3–12 years) and 186 children (8–18 years) self-reporting. They were contacted through child protection services. Methods: Participants completed questionnaires about CAN, IPV, attachment security, emotional insecurity, and PTSS. Using structural equation modelling, four mediation analyses were conducted: attachment security measured from fathers' (1) and mothers' (2) perspectives, and children's perspectives on fathers (3) and mothers (4). Results: The indirect effects of CAN and IPV on PTSS through emotional insecurity and attachment security from father's (B = 0.22, p < .05 and B = 0.04, p < .05, respectively) and mother's (B = 0.03, p < .01 and B = 0.15, p < .05, respectively) perspectives were significant. Indirect effects from children's perspectives on fathers and mothers were significant only for IPV (both B = 0.09, p < .01). Emotional insecurity clearly was a more consistent mediator. Conclusions: Findings emphasize a family-level rather than a dyadic perspective on the relationship dynamics in families with CAN and IPV. Emotional security theory may be particularly relevant for understanding the psychological needs of children in these families. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4e0f6b2620654e7aa9b5d4e268047918 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0001-6918 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Psychologica |
| spelling | doaj-art-4e0f6b2620654e7aa9b5d4e2680479182025-08-20T03:49:41ZengElsevierActa Psychologica0001-69182025-06-0125610496710.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104967Linking family violence and children's trauma symptoms through attachment and emotional insecurityAnna L.C. van Loon-Dikkers0Bas Tierolf1Carlo Schuengel2Majone J. Steketee3Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000, DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Verwey-Jonker Institute, Giessenplein 59C, 3522, KE, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Corresponding author at: Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7-9 1081, BT, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Verwey-Jonker Institute, Giessenplein 59C, 3522, KE, Utrecht, the NetherlandsVrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7-9 1081, BT, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsDepartment of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000, DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Verwey-Jonker Institute, Giessenplein 59C, 3522, KE, Utrecht, the NetherlandsBackground: Attachment theory and emotional security theory offer distinct but compatible accounts to explain the consequences for children growing up in families with child abuse and neglect (CAN) and intimate partner violence (IPV). Objective: We examined the unique contributions of attachment security and emotional insecurity in explaining associations between CAN and IPV, on the one hand, and children's post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), on the other. We examined to what extent attachment security and emotional insecurity mediate the relationship between CAN and IPV and PTSS. Participants and setting: Participants were 718 Dutch parents reporting about their children (3–12 years) and 186 children (8–18 years) self-reporting. They were contacted through child protection services. Methods: Participants completed questionnaires about CAN, IPV, attachment security, emotional insecurity, and PTSS. Using structural equation modelling, four mediation analyses were conducted: attachment security measured from fathers' (1) and mothers' (2) perspectives, and children's perspectives on fathers (3) and mothers (4). Results: The indirect effects of CAN and IPV on PTSS through emotional insecurity and attachment security from father's (B = 0.22, p < .05 and B = 0.04, p < .05, respectively) and mother's (B = 0.03, p < .01 and B = 0.15, p < .05, respectively) perspectives were significant. Indirect effects from children's perspectives on fathers and mothers were significant only for IPV (both B = 0.09, p < .01). Emotional insecurity clearly was a more consistent mediator. Conclusions: Findings emphasize a family-level rather than a dyadic perspective on the relationship dynamics in families with CAN and IPV. Emotional security theory may be particularly relevant for understanding the psychological needs of children in these families.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000169182500280XFamily violenceCANIPVEmotional insecurityAttachment securityPost-traumatic stress symptoms |
| spellingShingle | Anna L.C. van Loon-Dikkers Bas Tierolf Carlo Schuengel Majone J. Steketee Linking family violence and children's trauma symptoms through attachment and emotional insecurity Acta Psychologica Family violence CAN IPV Emotional insecurity Attachment security Post-traumatic stress symptoms |
| title | Linking family violence and children's trauma symptoms through attachment and emotional insecurity |
| title_full | Linking family violence and children's trauma symptoms through attachment and emotional insecurity |
| title_fullStr | Linking family violence and children's trauma symptoms through attachment and emotional insecurity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Linking family violence and children's trauma symptoms through attachment and emotional insecurity |
| title_short | Linking family violence and children's trauma symptoms through attachment and emotional insecurity |
| title_sort | linking family violence and children s trauma symptoms through attachment and emotional insecurity |
| topic | Family violence CAN IPV Emotional insecurity Attachment security Post-traumatic stress symptoms |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000169182500280X |
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