Prospective relations among low-income African American adolescents' maternal attachment security, self-worth, and risk behaviors

Ginger Lockhart, Samantha Phillips, Anneliese Bolland, Melissa Delgado, Juliet Tietjen, John Bolland

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examined prospective mediating relations among mother-adolescent attachment security, self-worth, and risk behaviors, including substance use and violence, across ages 13-17 in a sample of 901 low-income African American adolescents. Path analyses revealed that self-worth was a significant mediator between attachment security and risk behaviors, such that earlier attachment security predicted self-worth 1 year later, which in turn, predicted substance use, weapon carrying, and fighting in the 3rd year. Implications for the role of the secure base concept within the context of urban poverty are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number33
JournalFrontiers in Psychology
Volume8
Issue numberJAN
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 24 2017

Keywords

  • Adolescent
  • Attachment
  • Poverty
  • Self-worth
  • Substance use
  • Violence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Psychology(all)

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