Abstract

Extensive research has revealed that insecure attachment is associated with emotional and behavioural problems in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. In addition, recent research on stability and instability of attachment styles has shown that both stable insecurity and attachment instability are associated with vulnerability factors such as early personal and family dysfunction, and personality disturbance. In this study, stable attachment insecurity and attachment style instability were considered vulnerability factors, and it was hypothesized that these vulnerabilities would be associated with more internalizing (dysphoria) and externalizing (delinquency, drug use) problems. A diathesis-stress model of adjustment was also investigated whereby attachment insecurity and instability put adolescents at increased risk for deviant behaviours and psychological distress in the context of negative life events. Adolescents (n=149) completed self-report measures of delinquency, drug use, dysphoria, and attachment style to mother four times, once when they were in grades 7 or 8 (Time 1), and again every year for the following three years. Results revealed that adolescents who reported more negative life events were less securely attached to mother, engaged in a wider variety of delinquent activities, and used a wider variety of substances. Findings also showed that insecurely-attached teens were more delinquent. Moreover, adolescents with higher variability in security tended to be more dysphoric. Findings also revealed that the combination of attachment insecurity and high negative life events rendered adolescents more vulnerable to engagement in delinquent activities.