An exploration of attachment and trauma in young men who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviours

ABSTRACT

The study explored the narratives and attachment profiles of eight young men who had engaged in harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) and four of their parents. A multiple-case design was utilised which included information from interviews; Transition to Adulthood Attachment Interviews (TAAI) and the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). The findings indicated that all of the young men presented with extreme insecure or mixed insecure attachment strategies alongside indicators of unresolved traumas or losses. The interview data highlighted absences of effective strategies for self-soothing, emotional regulation, and experience of comfort. A trans-generational pattern was evident in that the four parents were similarly found to show complex insecure attachment strategies and indicators of unresolved trauma and loss. The findings also indicated that insecure attachment and trauma influenced the content and structure of the young men’s narratives and of their explanation of their sexually harmful actions. Explanations of the development of sexually harmful behaviours and clinical implications for intervention are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Harmful sexual behaviour
• adolescents
• attachment
• qualitative research
• trauma

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.