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Child maltreatment, attachment security, and internal representations of mother and mother-child relationships

Erin Pickreign Stronach1, Sheree L Toth, Fred Rogosch

  • 1Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Mt. Hope Family Center, Rochester, NY 14608, USA. erin_stronach@urmc.rochester.edu

Child Maltreatment
|February 23, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Child maltreatment significantly impacts attachment security and internal representations of the mother-child relationship in preschoolers. Maltreated children exhibit more disorganized attachment and less positive relationship views compared to non-maltreated peers.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Attachment Theory

Background:

  • Attachment security is crucial for child development.
  • Child maltreatment can negatively affect early relationships.
  • Internal representations shape a child's understanding of relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine attachment security and internal representations in maltreated vs. non-maltreated preschoolers.
  • To investigate the association between maltreatment characteristics and attachment outcomes.
  • To explore the impact of maltreatment on the mother-child relationship representations.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study comparing maltreated (N=92) and non-maltreated (N=31) preschoolers.
  • Assessment of attachment security and internal representations of the mother.
  • Analysis of maltreatment characteristics (subtype, chronicity, severity, frequency).

Main Results:

  • Maltreated preschoolers showed lower secure attachment rates.
  • Maltreated preschoolers had higher rates of disorganized attachment.
  • Maltreatment was linked to less positive global representations of the mother-child relationship.

Conclusions:

  • Child maltreatment is associated with insecure and disorganized attachment patterns.
  • Maltreatment negatively influences preschoolers' views of their relationship with their mother.
  • Findings have implications for developmental theory and interventions for maltreated children.

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