Attachment figures in a middle childhood Romanian sample: Does parental migration for employment matter?

ABSTRACT

This study assessed how children’s choices of attachment figures are related to the quality of the parent-child relationship and parental economic migration in a Romanian sample. Two hundred and twenty-two children (n girls =130) 10-13 years of age completed the Attachment Figure Interview and a parental migration interview, and reported their attachment security with mother and father. Approximately 35.6% (n = 79) of children had mothers with a migration history and 48.7% (n = 104) of children had fathers with a migration history. Mothers, and to some extent fathers, serve as primary attachment figures. Grandparents, peers, siblings and relatives serve as secondary attachment figures in some situations. Further, children are less likely to choose mothers as primary attachment figures and show lower attachment security when their mothers rather than their fathers have a history of migration. Overall, this study provides empirical grounds to conceptualize parental migration as an attachment disruption.

KEYWORDS:

• Attachment figures
• middle childhood
• parental migration
• attachment security
• Romanian sample

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to schools and families who generously participated in this study. We would also like to thank Ms. Carmen Anicai for her support with data management.

Notes

1. Of 79 mothers with a migration history, 14 were currently working abroad, 41 were working in the past, and 24 were working both in the present and past; of 104 fathers with a migration history, 14 were currently working abroad, 47 were working in the past, and 45 were working both in the present and past. Due to small n in some categories, lack of distinctive present-past categories only, and interest in history of migration, analyses were performed using the presence/absence of migration history criteria.