Attachment Security and Parental Perception of Competency Among Abused Women in the Shadow of PTSD and Childhood Exposure to Domestic Violence

This study examined whether low perceived parental competency of abused women was associated with previous exposure to violence during childhood, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attachment security. The study included 54 women who were recruited from shelters for abused women. Results revealed that abused women with PTSD were anxiously attached and women who had been exposed to violence during childhood felt less satisfaction from mothering. These findings may imply that abused women are not a homogenous group; the repeated traumatic events throughout their lives may result in the formation of insecure attachment patterns and PTSD, which, consequently, may impact their perceived parenting.