The effects of verbal abuse on adolescent males: An attachment theory perspective

This study addresses the effects of parental verbal abuse during childhood and adolescence on the lives of adult males. This subject is addressed and discussed from the perspective of attachment theory. One hundred and fifty-three males over the age of 18 participated in this study. These participants were primarily from Northern California. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, Conflict Tactic Scale, Attachment Style Questionnaire, Beck's Scale for Suicidal Ideation, Shame scale from the Harder Personal Feelings Questionnaire, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale-Version 3. Results showed that verbal abuse by the mother or by both mother and father is significantly related to attachment issues in adulthood. The results further demonstrated that verbal abuse by the mother only or by both parents resulted in higher levels of loneliness, depression, shame, and more significant histories of previous suicide attempts. The statistical significance of the verbal abuse from both mom and dad may be attributed to the verbal abuse by mom only. The clinical implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.