Child maltreatment and insecure attachment: a meta‐analysis

“While the formation of attachment is complex, theorists suggest that the experience of maltreatment can affect the child’s internal working models and subsequently the child’s relationships with others (Bowlby, 1969/1982; Lamb et al., 1985; Finzi et al., 2001).”

“Further, parents with a history of maltreating their children are likely to be less sensitive in interactions and more likely to have an insecure or disorganized caregiver–child attachment compared to other mothers (Baer & Martinez, 2006).”

“…of child maltreatment victimization did not have a positive parenting example, and they may be at increased risk for insecure internal working models of attachment (Bear & Martinez, 2006), that have been shown to predict later child maltreatment (Huxtable-Jester, 1995; Lo Chan, & Ip, in press).”

“In two meta-analyses, it was concluded that maltreated infants and toddlers under 4 years of age were significantly more likely to have an insecure attachment style than normal controls (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Cyr, Euser, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & Van Ijzendoorn, 2010).”

“As such, experiencing abuse has been found to be associated with young children's insecure attachment orientation (Baer & Martinez, 2006) and, in particular, with avoidant or disorganized attachment (Cicchetti, Rogosch & Toth, 2006; Finzi et al., 2001).”

“Moreover, trauma exposure in early development increases the probability of an insecure, particularly insecure–disorganized/disoriented, attachment relationship (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Sroufe et al., 2005; Zeanah et al., 1999).”

“…& NRC], 2014), in areas including physical and mental health (Gilbert et al., 2009; Nanni, Uher, & Danese, 2012), insecure attachments (Baer and Martinez, 2006; Stronach et al., 2011), small brain size, and negative alterations to brain circuitry (Jedd et al., 2015; Pollak et al., 2010;…”

“Disorganized attachment is highly prevalent in samples of maltreated children, suggesting that parental behaviors associated with neglect and various forms of abuse may also play a role in the development of this pattern of attachment (Baer & Martinez, 2006).”

“The body of research suggesting that maltreated children are more likely to exhibit an insecure attachment style is growing rapidly (Baer and Martinez, 2006; Cyr et al., 2010) and indeed, previous research has shown strong links between insecure attachment and psychological distress (Hankin, 2005).”

“…adults with a history of childhood maltreatment are more likely to endorse an insecure attachment style (i.e., high anxious and/or avoidant attachment; e.g., Baer & Martinez, 2006; Bakermans-Kranenburg and van IJzendoorn, 2009; Iwaniec, Larkin, & McSherry, 2007; Muller, Sicoli, & Lemieux, 2000).”

“Neglectful and abusive parenting is linked to the formation of insecure attachment relationships (Baer & Martinez, 2006), and caregiver disruptions affect the quality of attachment and attachment-related behaviors (e.g., Stovall-McClough & Dozier, 2004).”

“Another study disaggregated the different types of childhood maltreatment reported and found that abuse cases were most likely to increase the risk of forming insecure attachment in childhood (Baer & Martinez, 2006).”

“Maltreated infants are more likely than matched comparisons to display an insecure attachment style (Baer & Martinez, 2006), and previous research has demonstrated a clear relationship between CEA and the development of an insecure attachment style (Riggs, 2010).”

“Research has indeed shown that child maltreatment is related to insecure attachment relationships (for meta-analyses see Baer & Martinez, 2006 and Cyr et al., 2010) and that lower attachment security seems to be carried forward into relationships with peers (Morton & Browne, 1998; Wood et al.,…”

“In a recent meta-analysis of studies consisting of young children, researchers reported that children who had been maltreated had 80% greater odds of having an insecure attachment style compared to children who had not been abused (Baer & Martinez, 2006).”

“Infants exposed to maltreatment tend to display an insecure type of attachment [47].”

“Mal-treatment in childhood may undermine the quality of the relationship between children and their caregivers and yield an insecure and disorganized attachment relationship (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Cyr et al., 2010).”

“…not receive adequate input in the form of sensitive caregiving, which is often the case among caregivers living in poverty (Zalewski, Lengua, Kiff et al., 2012) as well as caregivers involved with CPS (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Moss et al., 2011), biological and behavioral regulation is compromised.”

“ChM is considered to be one of the most important causes of insecure adult attachment [11], as it increases the vulnerability to form negative believes about self, others and about social interactions (e.”

“Children’s insecure attachment styles are linked to their maltreatment experiences (for review, Baer and Maritez 2006).”

“Children with trauma histories may struggle with interpersonal relationships (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Morton & Browne, 1998) that may manifest as insecure attachments.”

“…abuse, neglect, or nonsupport occurs early in life, it may interfere with a child’s development of a healthy, secure attachment to caretakers (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Morton & Browne, 1998), resulting in difficulties in forming positive relationships with others (Davila & Bradbury, 2001;…”

“These experiences harm children’s development and inhibit secure parent-child attachments (Baer and Martinez 2006; Hildyard and Wolfe 2002), and they may facilitate the development of antisocial behavior (Maas, Herrenkohl, and Sousa 2008).”

“Child maltreatment is associated with insecure attachment (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Muller et al., 2000).”

“In turn, insecure attachment styles are often associated with deficits in regulating emotional responses and use of maladaptive emotional regulation behaviours including self-harm [27,28].”

“, attachment insecurity), which in this case is supported by a meta-analysis (37).”

“…respect to attachment patterns, with an effect size of 2.19 for disorganization in maltreated children compared to children from normative samples (Baer & Martinez, 2006 Query: AUTHOR: The citation “Cyr, Euser, & van IJzendoorn, 2010” has been changed to “Cyr, Euser, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & Van…”

“• DV continues to be poorly identified, documented, and responded to across health and social care settings.”

“These negative experiences such as abuse, neglect, and other frightening parental behavior promote attachment problems, especially disorganized attachment (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Carlson et al., 1989; Cicchetti et al., 2006; Cyr et al., 2010; Schuengel et al., 1999).”

“Although further research will be required to replicate this finding and explore mechanisms involved, it may be related to the relationship between family of origin violence and insecure attachment (Baer & Martinez, 2006).”

“(2001), Baer and Martinez (2006), and Yaffe (2021).”

“Occurrence of abuse and neglect in early life may interfere with the development of a healthy secure attachment relationship (Baer and Martinez, 2006).”

“In addition, they present anxious and avoidant attachment styles (Miller et al., 2011; Pistol, 1995), which are often linked to childhood maltreatment (Baer & Martinez, 2006).”

“CA exposure disrupts secure attachment formation in early childhood and subsequent interpersonal development (e.g., Baer & Martinez, 2006; Huh, Kim, Yu, & Chae, 2014; Johnson et al., 2002; Shaw & Vondra, 1993), which may predict poor quality interpersonal support systems later in life (Hankin,…”

“Maltreated children in particular are at increased risk for insecure attachments with studies showing up to 75 percent of maltreated children exhibiting insecure relationships with biological parents (Baer and Martinez 2006; Cicchetti and Barnett 1991; Morton and Browne 1998).”

“Rates of insecure attachment are much higher in maltreated children than in the general population, with 70 to 100 % of maltreated children being insecurely attached compared to the base rate of about 30 % in the general population (see Baer and Martinez 2006, for a review).”

“One of the potential consequences of child abuse is a lack of secure attachment with a caregiver ( Baer & Martinez, 2006 ; Lamb, Gaensbauer, Malkin, & Schultz, 1985 ).”

“impact that a history of maltreatment has on attachment style (Baer and Martinez 2006; Howe 2006b; Morton and Browne 1998; Reyome 2010), and the lack of a significant”

“…linked to a variety of negative social emotional outcomes such as insecure and disorganized attachment, lower self-esteem, poor relationships with peers, and maladjusted behavior in school (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Cicchetti, 2010; Kim & Cicchetti, 2004; Lansford et al., 2002; Stronach et al., 2011).”

“combinations are considered insecure attachment [13,14].”

“Similarly, childhood maltreatment can disrupt the development of social-emotional capacities such as attachment (Baer & Martinez, 2006) and social interconnectedness (Hovens, Giltay, van Hemert, & Penninx, 2016), thereby increasing the likelihood of PTSD following subsequent trauma exposure (Lee &…”

“…early child-caregiver interactions in the development of an individual’s attachment style, childhood trauma involving adult figures or caretakers as perpetrators of abuse has been examined as an important predictor of insecure attachment organizations (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Cassidy & Mohr, 2001).”

“The association between CM and high levels of attachment insecurity (both avoidance and anxiety) has been widely supported in previous decades (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Cicchetti & Toth, 2005; Cyr, Euser, BakermansKranenburg, & Van Ijzendoorn, 2010).”

“Moreover, research has shown that individuals who were maltreated at an early age are likely to develop insecure attachment styles, such as an anxious attachment (e.g., see Baer & Martinez, 2006, for a meta-analysis).”

“As also discussed, childhood maltreatment often leads to insecure attachment to others, including their parents or legal guardians (Baer and Martinez, 2006), and insecurely attached children in turn are more likely to grow up believing that their efforts to influence the world around them will be…”

“Unfortunately, children and adolescents with a history of child maltreatment are at increased risk for the development of insecure parent-child attachment relationships (Baer & Martinez, 2006).”

“This is consistent with previous findings (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Reiser et al., 2019; Widom et al., 2018) that highlight the importance of attachment styles on romantic relationship problems in adulthood and adjustment problems following a breakup.”

“Although research on attachment in general, and trust in specific, in youngsters in the CWS is rare, studies on younger CWS children suggest that these children likely lack trust in parental support, and that rates of insecure attachment are high (Baer & Martinez, 2006).”

“…psychological maltreatment may have dif fi culty regulating their emotions (Wu et al., 2022), struggle with low self-esteem and self-worth (Arslan, 2016; Brodski & Hutz, 2012), and have problems with attachment and forming healthy relationships with others (Arslan, 2021a; Baer & Martinez, 2006).”

“Further, given the strong propensity of infants and young children to form attachments—even to maltreating caregivers (Baer & Martinez, 2006)—it is clear that extremes of inadequate input are necessary for RAD to develop.”

“…within an attachment framework, where abused children experience insecure or disorganized attachments with their primary caregivers early on, which follows them into adulthood (e.g. Alexander, Anderson, Brand, Schaeffer, & Grelling, 1998; Baer & Martinez, 2006; Roche, Runtz, & Hunter, 1999).”

“…the formation of insecure attachment during childhood and with 212 Sexual Abuse 29(3) adult partners, and empirical evidence is consistent with this (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Cicchetti, 2004; Morton & Browne, 1998) although, in the case of attachment in childhood, a bidirectional relationship is…”

“…nearly three decades, but very little work has actually been done to tease out the effect of emotional forms of maltreatment on the attachment system (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Carlson, Cicchetti, Barnett, & Braunwald, 1989; Crittenden & Ainsworth, 1989; Egeland & Sroufe, 1981; Morton & Browne, 1998).”

“…smaller correlation in studies with clinical/at risk samples indicates that some risk factors for mental health problems affect attachment with mothers versus fathers to a different extent (e.g., reducing, in particular, the security with the perpetrator of family violence; Baer & Martinez, 2006).”