How Does Domestic Violence Impact Attachment (Article Sample)

How Does Domestic Violence Impact Attachment 
“Exposure to Domestic Violence During Adolescence” by Pang and colleagues in 2020 fits the overall topic because it examines how individuals are likely to experience developmental changes that may affect their functioning and behavioral patterns during the stage. Domestic violence impacts adolescents’ mental and emotional development because it compromises their ability to regulate their emotions and increases the chances of experiencing psychological problems like depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. Pang and colleagues utilize a variety of sources to demonstrate the developmental issues associated with domestic assaults. Therefore, the article significantly fits into the overall topic because it reflects individuals’ developmental stages during adolescence.
Similarly, the section relates to the overall research topic because it examines the role different attachment styles play in moderating the impacts of domestic violence among adolescents. Pang and colleagues use Ainsworth’s theory to explain how parent-child connections are essential in one’s psychological well-being. For instance, a good relationship implies that the caregiver is emotionally sensitive to a child’s needs. As a result, such children develop confidence and trust in their parents. On the other hand, adolescents who are insecurely attached to their parents find it challenging to build self-confidence, increasing their chances of experiencing emotional problems.
Research
The primary objective of Pang and colleagues’ study is to examine the effects of domestic violence on individuals’ ability to control their emotions, psychological well-being, and future satisfaction in life. Based on people’s developmental changes during adolescence, they hypothesized that those who experience domestic violence would record higher psychopathology, which involves a measure of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and stress levels. Second, Pang and colleagues predicted that secure attachment with parents and appropriate coping styles would lower the chances of emotional and psychological problems among individuals exposed to family fights. Lastly, they hypothesized that attachment styles and coping strategies would control the affiliation between psychological health and the severity of the exposure. During their study, Pang and colleagues defined exposure as the act of receiving or witnessing violence at home.
Although they recruited 351 participants, the researchers only used a sample of 281 individuals who seemed to have experienced the issue of concern. Among the 281 participants, 69 were males, and 149 were females (Pang et al., 2020, p. 4). Pang and colleagues included participants’ sex, age, birthplace. They used the Child’s Exposure to Domestic Violence (CEDV) to measure the severity of exposure during adolescence and the chances of an adult engaging in practices that can harm another. The study’s CEDV comprised of nineteen questions to determine violent activities in one’s home. The researchers rated different participants on a 4-point Likert scale and then cumulated them to establish a composite score. Pang and colleagues re-worded instructions to examine individuals’ use of coping strategies in moderating the effects of the exposure. They used three subscales, including emotion-focused, avoidance-focused, and problem-focused, in their COPE Inventory. Lastly, the study utilizes attachment style questionnaires to measure the quality of participants’ relationships with their parents.
Significance
Although many researchers have provided information about the impacts of domestic violence on adolescents’ emotional, physical, and psychological well-being, their studies might lack protective factors or coping mechanisms. Pang and his colleagues’ study is significant because apart from examining different problems, they provide coping strategies and attachment styles that play a vital role in reducing the adverse effects of family fights. As a result, readers would understand various ways to deal with domestic violence’s effects and prevent future psychological problems. For instance, Pang and colleagues’ study examines how individuals’ closeness to their primary caregivers is essential in dealing with stress and depression. Secure attachments enable children to trust their parents and obtain self-confidence, critical for addressing future stressful situations.
Similarly, the study provides three strategies that individuals who have previously experienced family violence can utilize in coping with emotional and psychological situations. First, individuals can address a problem by dealing with the thoughts and emotions that contribute to stressors. Second, the problem-focused approach employs ways through which an individual can handle the situation itself without considering its causes. In addition, the avoidance-focused strategies encourage troubled people to withdraw from the practices or things that result in stressful situations. Therefore, the study is significant in domestic violence and adolescence because it provides coping strategies and preventive factors that can moderate or eliminate stressors even before they occur.
Study’s Results
Among the 281 participants, 92 admitted having experienced or witnessed domestic assaults, while 126 individuals did not report any exposure. As hypothesized, individuals who had experienced domestic violence demonstrated anxiety, PTSD, depression, and stress (Pang et al., 2020, p. 9). Second, individuals who utilized average and low levels of avoidance-focused approaches during exposure indicated moderated relationship between psychological distress and exposure’s severity. For instance, lower levels of avoidance-focused process implied reduced chances of experiencing psychological i