Trauma, Violence, & Abuse

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

SAGETRACK

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by BOLEN, R. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by BOLEN, R. M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, Vol. 1, No. 2, 128-153 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/1524838000001002002

Validity of Attachment Theory

REBECCA M. BOLEN

Boston University

In recent years, attachment theory has been used more frequently for understanding abuse and violence. Yet, conceptualizations of these problems presuppose that attachment theory is valid. By reviewing the empirical literature on attachment theory to determine whether its key hypotheses are supported, this article addresses this important assumption. Hypotheses of attachment theory that are addressed are that attachment (a) has a biological or physiological base, (b) is universal, (c) is intergenerationally transmitted, (d) is transmitted from caregiver to infant, and (e) is predictive and dynamic but largely stable across time. Although all the hypotheses have some empirical support, and meta-analyses of certain of these hypotheses are encouraging, there are contradictory findings. At this time, support for attachment theory remains equivocal, and the limits of the theory are not clearly defined. Although these limitations do not preclude its use in trauma literature, professionals must remain aware of these limitations.

Key Words: child maltreatment • child sexual abuse • trauma • attachment theory • neglect • family violence


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Criminal Justice ReviewHome page
J. H. Lemmon
The Effects of Maltreatment Recurrence and Child Welfare Services on Dimensions of Delinquency
Criminal Justice Review, March 1, 2006; 31(1): 5 - 32.
[Abstract] [PDF]