investigated the internal working model to see if there was an association between early attachment type and participation in bullying behaviour (as either a bully or a victim) in childhood.
PROCEDURE (Myron-Wilson and Smith)
The sample consisted of 196 children aged between 7 and 11 years from a South East London primary school. All children were assessed for attachment type and quality of relationship with parents using the Separation Anxiety Test and a Parenting Styles Questionnaire.
Findings
Type of attachment:
Secure children were very unlikely to be involved in bullying.
Insecure-avoidant children were most likely to be victims of bullying.
Insecure-resistant children were most likely to be rated by their peers as bullies.
