Attachment experiences in at-risk or maltreated children exposed to intimate partner violence, parental distress, and disrupted parental behaviors

BACKGROUND: Attachment behavior is thought to reflect children's internalized experiences shaped by their proximal environment, including exposure to intimate partner violence. However, few studies have examined associations between child exposure to intimate partner violence (CEIPV), alongside other parental factors likely present in violent family contexts, such as parental psychological distress and parenting behavior, and child attachment. OBJECTIVE: This study examined associations between psychological and physical CEIPV, parental psychological distress, disrupted parental behavior, and children's insecure, disorganized, and disorganized-controlling attachment classifications. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 71 parents and their children (aged 12-72 months) who were at high-risk of maltreatment or had been reported for maltreatment. Participants were recruited through CPS or community agencies. Data collection was conducted using questionnaires on sociodemographic variables, IPV and psychological distress. Child attachment and parental disrupted behavior were assessed during a lab-visit. RESULTS: In this high-risk sample, 28.2% of parents reported physical violence and 77.5% psychological violence within the last year. Logistic hierarchical regressions, which included all parental factors, revealed that higher levels of disrupted parental behavior and, unexpectedly, lower levels of psychological CEIPV were significantly associated with child attachment insecurity. Regressions on disorganized and disorganized-controlling attachment were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Findings clarify the association between CEIPV, parental disrupted behavior, and child attachment. They also highlight the need for thorough investigations of CEIPV within CPS contexts and trauma-informed and attachment-based interventions.