Examining Childhood Trauma Experiences in Relation to Women’s Attachment Style, Exposure to Violence and Partner Characteristics

Abstract

Main emphasis of this research is to illuminate the intertwined cycles of neglect/abuse and violence that women experience throughout their lives and to identify potential strategies for social work interventions in this context. At this point, the study explains that violence can perpetuate itself in a cyclical manner from childhood and that this has effects on future partner relationships and partner characteristics in the case of Turkiye. The study also examines women’s self-assessed characteristics of their partners. The study was conducted within the scope of cross-sectional descriptive model and 260 women participated in the study. The participants were mostly exposed to emotional neglect during childhood. The attachment style of most of the participants was anxious ambivalent. In addition, they also experienced emotional violence from their spouses the most. The spouses of the participants were directive. There is a significant relationship between childhood trauma and exposure to violence. Adverse childhood experiences have an effect on the participants’ attachment style, partner characteristics and exposure to violence. In order for women to have safe and nonviolent partner relationships in adulthood, it is recommended that the quality and quantity of studies focusing on the family in childhood and the prevention of neglect/abuse be increased.