The role of attachment in children's adjustment to divorce and remarriage

Abstract

It is not uncommon for children to exhibit adjustment problems following their parents' divorce or remarriage, with many children also demonstrating a sense of resiliency throughout the adjustment process. An often overlooked factor related to children's adjustment following martial transitions is the attachment bond children experience with their parents. Secure parents encourage effective affect regulation, are emotionally available and responsive, and provide appropriate discipline, most of which are factors that have been found to relate to resilience following divorce and remarriage. It may be that attachment security provides a buffer and encourages resiliency for children experiencing divorce. This article illustrates how attachment theory provides a strong theoretical foundation for clinically assessing and treating children of divorce and remarriage in terms of reducing adjustment problems and fostering resiliency. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.