Does the Type of Abuse Matter? Study on the Quality of Child Attachment Narratives in a Sample of Abused Children

Child abuse has been associated with the development of insecure-disorganized patterns of attachment. However, the way in which different types of abuse relate to variations in attachment representations is not entirely clear. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the relationship between three types of abuse (sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect) and the quality of child attachment representation, as assessed through attachment narratives. The results indicate that abuse in general, as well as each of its typologies in particular, is associated with insecure-disorganized attachment narratives. No differences were observed in the association between each individual type of abuse and the quality of attachment narratives, as well as between the number of abuse experiences and the quality of attachment. The findings are discussed from attachment theory and the literature on child development and maltreatment.