Are self-esteem and adult attachment affected by previous experiences of youth victimisation?

Introduction Some research show the impact of the traumatic experiences of emotional abuse during childhood in an insecure attachment style [1 Muller RT, Sicoli LA, Lemieux KE. Relationship between attachment style and posttraumatic stress symptomatology among adults who report the experience of childhood abuse. J Traumatic Stress. 2000;13(2):321–332.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]], leading to a negative attitude towards oneself and towards others [2 Liu C, Chen X, Song P, et al. Relationship between childhood emotional abuse and self-esteem: a dual mediation model of attachment. Soc Behav Pers. 2018;46(5):793–800.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]]. Studies also show that child abuse is a significant predictor of low self-esteem in adulthood [3 Brodski SK, Hutz CS. The repercussions of emotional abuse and parenting styles on self-esteem, subjective well-being: a retrospective study with university students in Brazil. J Aggression Maltreatment Trauma. 2012;21(3):256–276.[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]]. The objectives of the current study are to analyse the relationship between the youth victimisation and self-esteem in adulthood, the adult attachment and the youth victimisation, and the self-esteem in adults and the adult attachment. This study is important to show, in a Portuguese sample, how these variables are linked, providing knowledge about the implications of previous experiences of youth victimisation.Materials and methods The sample comprised 109 Portuguese participants, with ages between 18 and 68 years old (M = 33.96, SD = 13.97), and the majority was female (n = 82, 77.4%). Participants responded online to a sociodemographic questionnaire, a Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) [4 Dias A, Sales L, Carvalho A, et al. Estudo de propriedades psicométricas do questionário de trauma de infância – versão breve numa amostra portuguesa não clínica. Laboratório Psicologia. 2013;11(2):103–120. [Google Scholar]], a Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) [5 Santos PJ, Maia J. Análise factorial confirmatória e validação preliminar de uma versão portuguesa da escala de auto-estima de Rosenberg. Psicologia: Teoria, Investigação e Prática. 2003;8(2):253–268. [Google Scholar]], and an Adult Attachment Scale-R (AAS-R) [6 Canavarro MC, Dias P, Lima V. A avaliação da vinculação do adulto: Uma revisão crítica a propósito da aplicação da Adult Attachment Scale-R (AAS-R) na população portuguesa. Psicologia. 2006;20(1):1–28. [Google Scholar]]. Portuguese versions of the questionnaires were used.Results The total score of the RSES revealed a significant statistical correlation with the CTQ subscales: Emotional Abuse (r=–0.233, p=.016), Emotional Neglect (r=–0.201, p=.039), and Physical Neglect (r=–0.235, p=.015). The total score of the CTQ showed significant statistical and correlations with the total score of the AAS-R and with its subscales: Anxiety (r = 0.198, p=.042), Close (r = 0.477, p<.001), and Depend (r = 0.445, p<.001). The factor Anxiety in the AAS-R showed a significant statistical correlation with the CTQ subscale Emotional Abuse (r = 0.349, p<.001). The subscale Close in the AAS-R showed significant statistical correlations with the CTQ subscales: Emotional Abuse (r=–0.266, p=.006), Emotional Neglect (r=–0.346, p<.001), Physical Neglect (r=–0.244, p=.012).The subscale Depend on the AAS-R revealed a significant statistical correlation with the CTQ subscales: Emotional Abuse (r=–0.249, p=.010). The RSES also showed a significant statistical correlation with the AAS-R subscales: Anxiety (r=–0.590, p<.001), Close (r = 0.511, p<.001), and Depend (r = 0.354, p<.001).Discussion and conclusions This study highlights the relationship between experiences of youth victimisation and the increase of attachment anxiety in adulthood, decreased self-esteem, comfort with proximity, and confidence in others concerning the attachment in adults. The current study corroborates previous findings [1 Muller RT, Sicoli LA, Lemieux KE. Relationship between attachment style and posttraumatic stress symptomatology among adults who report the experience of childhood abuse. J Traumatic Stress. 2000;13(2):321–332.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar],2 Liu C, Chen X, Song P, et al. Relationship between childhood emotional abuse and self-esteem: a dual mediation model of attachment. Soc Behav Pers. 2018;46(5):793–800.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]]. This research contributes to the practice of clinical and forensic psychology in the prevention and intervention in childhood trauma, showing, in a Portuguese sample, the impact of the social implications of trauma on attachment style, and self-esteem, during adulthood. However, although this research achieved important results, further studies are recommended, developing a theoretical model with those variables, and with a larger sample.