Attachment to Parents and Aggressiveness in Adopted Adolescents: A Multi-Sample Comparison Study

Barbara Torres-Gomez; Itziar Alonso-Arbiol; Miriam Gallarin

doi:10.1111/jora.12463

Attachment to Parents and Aggressiveness in Adopted Adolescents: A Multi-Sample Comparison Study

J Res Adolesc. 2020 Jan:30 Suppl 1:46-54. doi: 10.1111/jora.12463. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

Authors

Barbara Torres-Gomez¹, Itziar Alonso-Arbiol¹, Miriam Gallarin¹

Affiliation

¹ University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU.

PMID: 30379380
DOI: 10.1111/jora.12463

Abstract

This study examined adopted adolescents' levels of attachment security to parents and aggressiveness as compared to those of community nonadopted adolescents and of clinical nonadopted adolescents. Three different subsamples participated (n = 262): 101 community nonadopted adolescents (48.5% girls), 80 community adopted teens (65.0% girls), and 81 nonadopted counterparts (35.8% girls) who participated in a treatment program for youth with behavioral problems. There were no differences between community groups in attachment security or aggressiveness, whereas clinical nonadopted adolescents showed less attachment security and more aggressiveness than the other two groups. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of the potential healing impact that living with adoptive families could have on adopted teenagers' risk of maladaptive outcomes.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior / psychology*
Age Factors
Aggression / psychology*
Case-Control Studies
Child, Adopted / psychology*
Humans
Object Attachment*
Parent-Child Relations
Self Report