The Relation of Anxiety and Avoidance Dimensions of Attachment to Intimate Partner Violence: A Meta-Analysis About Victims

Abstract

Objective: Attachment theory is a useful framework for understanding the phenomenon of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimisation. Many studies have examined the relationship between attachment and IPV victimisation. The need to examine the nature of this relationship through a meta-analytic approach arises from an awareness of the amount of contrasting data surrounding the topic. Method: Searching five databases (PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed) and screening 4343 records, resulted in 34 studies comprising 1271 individuals who met the inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. Results: Results about attachment anxiety showed significant and moderate effect sizes (ranging from .18 for generic violence to .25 for sexual violence). Results about attachment avoidance also showed significant and moderate effect sizes (ranging from .18 for physical violence to .30 for generic violence). Conclusions: The meta-analysis findings highlight that the relationship between the dimensions of anxiety and the avoidance of attachment are significantly related to all forms of IPV victimisation, with moderate and moderate-to-strong effect sizes, respectively. These results are significant in that they confirm the importance of the relationship between attachment and IPV victimisation, suggesting promising new directions in which this field can further develop.