Background and objectiveThe role of attachment in the development of adoptee has been investigated extensively, especially considering mother–child relationships. Nevertheless, adoptive fathers are generally very present in the care and education of their children: therefore, our study aims at exploring the relationships between attachment representations of adopted adolescents and those of their parents, analyzing also any possible difference between fathers and mothers. MethodsThis study is developed as a part of the Attachment and Adoption Research Network (AARN): this network includes researchers from many different countries, and aims at analyzing the topic of attachment and development among children deprived of their family. Our study involved 27 Italian adoptive families, including teenage children (mean age: 13years, SD=2years) adopted from abroad during their childhood, as well as their adoptive parents. Attachment representations were assessed through two semi-structured clinical interviews, video-recorded, transcribed and coded by trained professionals. The first one, the Parent Development Interview, was addressed to each parent separately and was aimed at analyzing representations of current relationships with their son/daughter. Adolescents were questioned following the Friends and Family Interview, an adaptation of the Adult Attachment Interview for preadolescents and adolescents, encompassing the specific developmental tasks of this age. ResultsScores of maternal and paternal competence with respect to attachment are correlated each other (r=0.44, P>0.05), and this relationship is stronger for parents who adopted a boy (r=0.71, P<0.005). Adolescent's attachment is shown to be correlated with parental competences (higher parental competences correspond to higher scores for secure and lower scores for dismissing attachment), and the relationship is more significant for mothers. When the representation of both parents is coherent and positive, children show a more secure representation of attachment. We did not observe a relationship with adolescent's experience outside the family. Conclusions and perspectivesOur result support in adoptive families the relationship between parental and adolescent's representations, although the maternal competence seems to have wider effect. A larger sample and a control group would help a better understanding of the reciprocal role of maternal and paternal attachment representations, and their interaction with adolescent's attachment.