The Influence of Domestic Violence on the Development of the Attachment Relationship Between Mother and Young Child

This paper uses a case study from a longitudinal research project to illustrate the influence of domestic violence on the developing attachment relationship between mother and child that begins during pregnancy. The case study illustrates particular mechanisms involved in damaging the mother-child relationship in the context of domestic violence, including maternal projection, projective identification, as well as emotional dysregulation and dissociation. The paper includes quotes from the Working Model of the Child interviews (Zeanah & Benoit, 1995) conducted with the mother during pregnancy and at the child's 1st birthday as well as descriptions of observed mother-child interactions and Strange Situation paradigms (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978) at ages 1 and 4. The trajectory of this particular mother-child dyad is interpreted in the context of theory and research on the caregiving and attachment relationship and the effects of domestic violence on women and children. The discussion includes both theoretical and clinical implications for the influence of domestic violence on the early and developing mother-child relationship.