Attachment anxiety as a risk factor for subsequent intimate partner violence victimization: a 6-month prospective study among college women
Abstract
Recent research suggests that individuals with attachment difficulties are at increased risk for experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization. However, most studies conducted on this topic have been cross-sectional, leaving it unclear whether attachment difficulties actually precede this type of violence. The current 6-month prospective study examined the relation between adult attachment and subsequent IPV victimization in a sample of 133 college women. At Time 1, participants completed the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) questionnaire to assess the two underlying orthogonal dimensions of adult attachment (anxiety and avoidance) and the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ) to assess prior exposure to interpersonal traumatic events. At follow-up, participants completed a modified version of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-2) to assess IPV victimization. Results indicated that attachment anxiety was associated with an increased risk for experiencing physical assault during the 6-month follow-up period, even after statistically adjusting for prior interpersonal trauma. In contrast, attachment avoidance was unrelated to subsequent IPV victimization.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Anxious attachment significantly predicted physical IPV victimization also after controlling for the role of trauma.
“First, results brought by Sandberg et al. (2016) underlined that anxious attachment significantly predicted physical IPV victimization also after controlling the role of trauma.”
From Exploring Relationships: A Systematic Review on Intimate Partner Violence and Attachment (2018) · cites this paper as Sandberg et al., 2016
Cites
(2013) · Cited by 44,563 · see citing works
Attachment and Loss. Vol. 1. Attachment
Rever, G. W. (1972) · Psychosomatic Medicine · doi:10.1097/00006842-197211000-00011 · Cited by 8,446 · see citing works
The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2): Development and Preliminary Psychometric Data
STRAUS, M. A., HAMBY, S. L., BONEY-McCOY, S., & SUGARMAN, D. B. (1996) · Journal of Family Issues · doi:10.1177/019251396017003001 · Cited by 6,923 · see citing works
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder
Cary, G. L. (1994) · American Journal of Psychotherapy · doi:10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1994.48.1.155 · Cited by 6,300 · see citing works
Morbidity and mortality weekly report
Gay, N., Gay, N., & Day, A. (1997) · The American Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0002-9343(97)89440-5 · Cited by 4,684 · see citing works
(1998) · Cited by 3,968 · see citing works
Handbook of attachment: theory, research, and clinical applications
(2009) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.46-4135 · Cited by 3,818 · see citing works
Attachment theory and close relationships
(1998) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.35-6513 · Cited by 3,642 · see citing works
A Secure Base: Clinical Applications of Attachment Theory
Bowlby, J. (1998) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 3,379 · see citing works
The making & breaking of affectional bonds
Bowlby, J. (1979) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 2,668 · see citing works
Physical and mental health effects of intimate partner violence for men and women
Coker, A. L., Davis, K. E., Arias, I., Desai, S., Sanderson, M., Brandt, H. M., & Smith, P. H. (2002) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0749-3797(02)00514-7 · Cited by 2,258 · see citing works
Avoidance of Intimacy: An Attachment Perspective
Bartholomew, K. (1990) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/0265407590072001 · Cited by 2,153 · see citing works
(1973) · Cited by 2,004 · see citing works
Intimate partner violence as a risk factor for mental disorders: A meta-analysis
Golding, J. M. (1999) · Journal of Family Violence · doi:10.1023/a:1022079418229 · Cited by 1,788 · see citing works
Societal change and change in family violence from 1975 to 1985 as revealed by two national surveys
Straus, M. A., & Gelles, R. J. (1986) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.2307/352033 · Cited by 1,592 · see citing works
Bowlby, J. (1977) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.130.5.421 · Cited by 1,373 · see citing works
Wei, M., Russell, D. W., Mallinckrodt, B. S., & Vogel, D. L. (2007) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1080/00223890701268041 · Cited by 1,317 · see citing works
Attachment Security in Infancy and Early Adulthood: A Twenty-Year Longitudinal Study
Waters, E., Merrick, S., Treboux, D., Crowell, J., & Albersheim, L. (2000) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00176 · Cited by 1,228 · see citing works
(2009) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.46-6509 · Cited by 1,152 · see citing works
Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. (2000) · Violence Against Women · doi:10.1177/10778010022181769 · Cited by 1,145 · see citing works
Kubany, E. S., Leisen, M. B., Kaplan, A. S., Watson, S. B., Haynes, S. N., Owens, J. A., & Burns, K. (2000) · Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1037/1040-3590.12.2.210 · Cited by 1,102 · see citing works
Working models of attachment: implications for explanation, emotion, and behavior
Collins, N. L. (1996) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.71.4.810 · Cited by 996 · see citing works
Conflict in close relationships: An attachment perspective.
Simpson, J. A., Rholes, W. S., & Phillips, D. (1996) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.71.5.899 · Cited by 788 · see citing works
(2000) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.37-4169 · Cited by 546 · see citing works
Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on mind, body, and society
Scrignar, C. B. (1997) · Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s0005-7916(97)81866-6 · Cited by 456 · see citing works
Dynamics of romantic love : attachment, caregiving, and sex
Mikulincer, M., & Goodman, G. S. (2006) · Cited by 438 · see citing works
John Bowlby and Attachment Theory
Holmes, J. A., & Holmes, J. A. (2014) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315879772 · Cited by 423 · see citing works
Zlotnick, C., Johnson, D. M., & Kohn, R. (2006) · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · doi:10.1177/0886260505282564 · Cited by 417 · see citing works
Clinical applications of the attachment framework: Relational treatment of complex trauma
Pearlman, L. A., & Courtois, C. A. (2005) · Journal of Traumatic Stress · doi:10.1002/jts.20052 · Cited by 364 · see citing works
Attachment processes in couple and family therapy
Johnson, S. M., & Whiffen, V. E. (2003) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 312 · see citing works
Lopez, F. G., & Gormley, B. (2002) · Journal of Counseling Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-0167.49.3.355 · Cited by 264 · see citing works
Violence in the family as a disorder of the attachment and caregiving systems
Bowlby, J. (1984) · The American Journal of Psychoanalysis · doi:10.1007/bf01255416 · Cited by 262 · see citing works
When loving means hurting: an exploration of attachment and intimate abuse in a community sample
Henderson, A. J. Z., Bartholomew, K., Trinke, S. J., & Kwong, M. J. (2005) · Journal of Family Violence · doi:10.1007/s10896-005-5985-y · Cited by 186 · see citing works
Doumas, D. M., Pearson, C. L., Elgin, J. E., & McKinley, L. L. (2008) · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · doi:10.1177/0886260507313526 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Collins, N. L., Cooper, M. L., Albino, A. W., & Allard, L. M. (2002) · Journal of Personality · doi:10.1111/1467-6494.05029 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Allison, C. J., Bartholomew, K., Mayseless, O., & Dutton, D. G. (2008) · Journal of Family Issues · doi:10.1177/0192513x07306980 · Cited by 165 · see citing works
Stability of Attachment During the Preschool Period.
Moss, E., Cyr, C. P., Bureau, J., Tarabulsy, G. M., & Dubois‐Comtois, K. (2005) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/0012-1649.41.5.773 · Cited by 164 · see citing works
The role of child maltreatment and attachment style in adolescent relationship violence
WEKERLE, C., & WOLFE, D. A. (1998) · Development and Psychopathology · doi:10.1017/s0954579498001758 · Cited by 160 · see citing works
Lung cancer incidence trends among men and women--United States, 2005-2009.
Henley, S. J., Richards, T. B., Underwood, J. M., Eheman, C. R., Plescia, M., & McAfee, T. A. (2014) · PubMed Central · Cited by 159 · see citing works
Koss, M. P., Bailey, J. A., Yuan, N. P., Herrera, V. M., & Lichter, E. L. (2003) · Psychology of Women Quarterly · doi:10.1111/1471-6402.00093 · Cited by 144 · see citing works
Male abusiveness in intimate relationships
Dutton, D. (1995) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/0272-7358(95)00028-n · Cited by 141 · see citing works
Kuijpers, K. F., van der Knaap, L. M., & Winkel, F. W. (2012) · Journal of Family Violence · doi:10.1007/s10896-011-9399-8 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Adult Attachment Patterns and Courtship Violence
Mayseless, O. (1991) · Family Relations · doi:10.2307/585654 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
Orcutt, H. K., Garcia, M., & Pickett, S. M. (2005) · Violence and Victims · doi:10.1891/vivi.20.3.287 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Solomon, J., & George, C. C. (1999) · Cited by 111 · see citing works
He loves me; he loves me not: attachment and separation resolution of abused women
Henderson, A. J. Z., Bartholomew, K., & Dutton, D. G. (1997) · Journal of Family Violence · doi:10.1023/a:1022836711637 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
Attachment styles and violence within couples
Bond, S. B., & Bond, M. (2004) · Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/01.nmd.0000146879.33957.ec · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Sandberg, D. A., Suess, E. A., & Heaton, J. L. (2009) · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · doi:10.1177/0886260508329126 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Self-citationAn Adult Attachment Theoretical Perspective of Gender Symmetry in Intimate Partner Violence
Gormley, B. (2005) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-005-4199-3 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Attachment stability and the emergence of unresolved representations during adolescence
Aikins, J. W., Howes, C., & Hamilton, C. (2009) · Attachment & Human Development · doi:10.1080/14616730903017019 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Abuse and violence in intimate adult relationships: New perspectives from attachment theory
West, M., & George, C. C. (1999) · Attachment & Human Development · doi:10.1080/14616739900134201 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Attachment, anger, and aggression.
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2010) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/12346-013 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Parks, S. E., Kim, K. H., Day, N. L., Garza, M. A., & Larkby, C. A. (2010) · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · doi:10.1177/0886260510368158 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Fanslow, J., & Robinson, E. M. (2010) · Injury Prevention · doi:10.1136/ip.2009.026104 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Emotion-focused couples therapy
Meneses, C. W. (2017) · Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies · doi:10.1080/14779757.2017.1330706 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Traumatic Brain Injury and Intimate Partner Violence
Wilson, S. R. (2009) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780195179323.003.0014 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Exploring Relationships: A Systematic Review on Intimate Partner Violence and Attachment
Velotti, P., Beomonte Zobel, S., Rogier, G., & Tambelli, R. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01166 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Romantic attachment, conflict resolution styles, and teen dating violence victimization
Bonache, H., Gonzalez-Mendez, R., & Krahé, B. (2017) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-017-0635-2 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Courtois, R., Schlegel, A., Bonhommet, J., Doineau, E., Bertsch, I., Potard, C., & Pham, T. (2021) · L'Encéphale · doi:10.1016/j.encep.2020.11.010 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
- Authors
- Sandberg, D. A., Valdez, C. E., Engle, J. L., & Menghrajani, E.
- Affiliations
- California State University, East Bay (US)
- Corresponding author
- Sandberg, David A.
- Venue
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2016-05-24
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1410-1427
- ISSN
- 0886-2605 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-6518
- OpenAlex
- W2395968372
- Cited by
- 43
- References
- 56
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 3.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Intimate Partner and Family Violence
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
- Keywords
- attachment anxiety, intimate partner violence victimization, adult attachment, attachment avoidance, female university students, interpersonal trauma, physical assault, risk factors, prospective study
- MeSH terms
- Intimate Partner Violence, Adult, Anxiety, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Prospective Studies, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk Factors, Sexual Partners, Students, Universities, Crime Victims, Heterosexuality, Young Adult, Bullying
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review