Predictors of attachment security in children adopted from China by US families: implication for professional counsellors

ABSTRACT

This study investigated children’s age when adopted, time spent with adoptive families, institutionalization experience and parenting styles in predicting attachment security in children adopted from China by US families. Participants were 92 US parents with children adopted from China with a mean age of 19-month old at the time of adoption. Children in this study have spent an average of 5 years with their adoptive parents. Authoritative parenting was found to be a positive predictor, whilst permissive parenting was a negative predictor of attachment security. Results provided practical implications for professional counsellors who work with adoptive families and Chinese adoptees. Results also shed light on future research directions.

KEYWORDS:

• Attachment security
• Chinese
• adoption
• authoritative parenting
• permissive parenting

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yanhong Liu

Yanhong Liu, Ph.D., is an assistant professor with the Counsellor Education programme at The University of Toledo. She received her Ph.D. in Counsellor Education and Supervision from The Pennsylvania State University. She has experience as a professional school counsellor in US K-12 public schools, Penn State career counselling centre, and family and community settings. Her research interests include international adoptive families and attachment issues, cultural considerations in counselling and supervision, and professional school counselling.

Richard J. Hazler

Richard J. Hazler, Ph.D., is a professor in Charge of Counsellor Education and Coordinator of the Elementary School Counselling programme at the Pennsylvania State University. One area of his research and writing focuses on how bullying, harassment and ostracism can impact social emotional and behavioural development in childhood and later life. He is also noted for his work on humanistic approaches to counselling and counsellor training.