The role of emotional resilience, childhood parentification, and attachment style on antisocial behaviour in adulthood: a comparison of an offender and normative population

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JCP-08-2018-0035
Pages75-87
Published date25 April 2019
Date25 April 2019
AuthorAndra McGauran,Matthew Brooks,Roxanne Khan
Subject MatterHealth & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Criminal psychology,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Deviant behaviour,Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice
The role of emotional resilience, childhood
parentification, and attachment style on
antisocial behaviour in adulthood:
a comparison of an offender and
normative population
Andra McGauran, Matthew Brooks and Roxanne Khan
Abstract
Purpose Despite a robust link between poor caregiver attachment and antisociality, few studies have
examined the influence of parentification and emotional resilience on delinquency in later life, in groups at
differing risk for antisocial conduct. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach This pilot study compared the influence of parentification, attachment
style (avoidance or anxious) and emotional resilience on adulthood antisocial behaviour in an offender and
normative sample. Of the 137 participants in this study, 66 weresupervised by the National Probation Service
(age M ¼36.90, SD ¼13.91), and 71 were recruited from community-dwelling and student populations (age
M¼31.83, SD ¼13.25).
Findings In partial support of the predictions, participants in the offender group reported significantly
greater levels of attachment anxiety compared to the normative group. However, emotional resilience was
positively associated with antisociality in the normative sample.
Research limitations/implications This small-scale investigation indicates value in exploring these
specific variables in a larger, matched samples study, to enable clearer comparisons to be made between
offender and normative groups.
Practical implications The preliminary findings suggest that attachment anxiety is associated with
antisociality in offender populations, which indicate a therapeutic focus on attachment anxiety as part of
correctional care and offender rehabilitation.
Originality/value This study is novel in its aim to examine the influence of childhood parentification,
attachment deficits and emotional resilience on adulthood antisociality in participants from a high-risk
offender sample and non-high-risk normative sample.
Keywords Resilience, Delinquency, Antisociality, Anxious attachment, Anxious avoidant, Parentification
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The pathway to adulthood criminality is arguably rooted in an individuals childhood. A substantial
body of work offers some explanations as to how and why peoples antisocial behaviour stems
from their early familial experiences (Farrington, 2003; Fox et al., 2015). When compared with
normative populations, for example, offender groups report nearly four times more adverse
childhood experiences (including problematic relationships and an absence of affection) that are
strongly associated with antisocial behaviour in later life (Reavis et al., 2013). Yet, even in studies
of people not at high risk of offending, multiple types of adverse childhood experiences (including
household dysfunction and neglect) are associated with an elevated risk for a range of antisocial
Received 15 August 2018
Revised 4 November 2018
20 February 2019
Accepted 21 February 2019
Andra McGauran is based at
the National Probation Service,
Preston, UK.
Matthew Brooks is based at
the Department of Psychology,
Manchester Metropolitan
University, Manchester, UK.
Roxanne Khan is based at the
Department of Psychology,
University of Central
Lancashire, Preston, UK.
DOI 10.1108/JCP-08-2018-0035 VOL. 9 NO. 2 2019, pp. 75-87, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2009-3829
j
JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY
j
PAG E 75

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