Attachment Styles,Resilience,and Parenting Attitudes Among Adolescents Exposed to Interparental Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the relationship among the resilience levels, attachment styles, and the parenting attitudes of adolescents who did and did not witness interparental intimate partner violence (IPV). The study included adolescents and their mothers who presented to the Child-Adolescent Psychiatry clinics. The case and control group consisted of adolescents who had and had not witnessed interparental IPV, respectively. Data were collected using the K-SADS-PL-DSM-5-T, a sociodemographic data form, the Child and Youth Resilience Measure, the Three-Dimensional Attachment Style Scale, and the Parental Attitude Research Instrument. Resilience levels were significantly lower in the case group. In the control group, secure attachment style was observed more frequently, while avoidant and anxious-ambivalent attachment styles were more prevalent in the case group. Resilience was positively related to secure attachment and negatively related to avoidant and anxious-ambivalent attachment in both groups. Regarding parenting attitudes, the case group scored higher on the Rejection of the Housewife Role and Marital Discord subscales. In conclusion, the adjustment of children exposed to interparental IPV depends not only on traumatic experiences but also on resilience, attachment styles, and parental attitudes. Therefore, intervention programs should integrate trauma-focused approaches with strategies that strengthen parent-child relationships and foster protective factors enhancing resilience.

Plain Language Summary

This study examined how witnessing violence between parents affects adolescents’ ability to cope with stress, their emotional bonds with others, and the parenting approaches they experience at home. We compared adolescents who had witnessed violence between their parents with those who had not. The results showed that adolescents who witnessed violence between their parents had more difficulty coping with stress. They were also more likely to develop insecure emotional bonds, meaning they felt less safe and confident in close relationships. In contrast, adolescents who had not witnessed such violence more often showed secure emotional bonds and higher coping abilities. We also found differences in parenting approaches. Adolescents who witnessed violence were more likely to experience negative parenting patterns, such as conflict between parents and less supportive parental roles. Overall, the findings suggest that the well-being of adolescents exposed to violence between parents is influenced not only by the traumatic experience itself, but also by how supported they feel by their parents and how well they can cope with stress. These results highlight the importance of intervention programs that support both adolescents and their parents by strengthening family relationships and promoting coping skills and emotional resilience.