The influence of adult attachment strategies on parenting and behaviour difficulties in middle childhood

The aim of this research was to identify possible risk factors for internalising and externalising behaviour problems in middle childhood using an attachment theory framework. The mother-child relationship was explored from the mother's perspective and considered the possible influence of parenting attitudes and behaviours and mother's experience of romantic attachment relationships on her child's adjustment. The findings indicated that mothers in the clinical group differed significantly from mothers in the control group in reports of their adult attachment strategies, parenting behaviours and attitudes and their child's behaviour. In the clinical group mothers' high avoidance in romantic relationships was predictive of high reports of their child's externalising behaviours. Parenting behaviours and attitudes did not appear to influence this relationship. In the control group a different pattern of relationships were identified as significant. Mothers' parenting behaviours and attitudes were shown to be predictive of their child's behaviour. In addition low levels of mothers' attachment anxiety were predictive of low reports of behaviour problems in the control group. It was concluded that the current study found some evidence that adult romantic attachment was able to predict parenting attitudes, behaviours and childhood adjustment with reference to internalising and externalising behaviours in middle childhood. The study supports the possibility that conceptually analogous relationships exist between parent-child and romantic relationships. Different significant relationships existed in the clinical and control group. Further examination of these differences when researching potential risk/protective factors for maladjustment in childhood is essential.