Abusive relationships, care and control conflicts and insecure attachments
Corresponding Author
Dr Peter Reder
Consultant Child Psychiatrist, Child & Family Consultation Centre, London
Child & Family Consultation Centre, 1 Wolverton Gardens, London W6 7DY.Search for more papers by this authorSylvia Duncan
Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Baker & Duncan Family Consultancy, Woking, Surrey
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Dr Peter Reder
Consultant Child Psychiatrist, Child & Family Consultation Centre, London
Child & Family Consultation Centre, 1 Wolverton Gardens, London W6 7DY.Search for more papers by this authorSylvia Duncan
Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Baker & Duncan Family Consultancy, Woking, Surrey
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Many studies of adults who are violent to others or abuse their children suggest long-standing interpersonal difficulties that can be traced back to severe adverse experiences in childhood. Different models have been proposed to understand these difficulties, including attachment theory. However, attachment concepts tend to be used loosely and we suggest that the notion of ‘unresolved care and control conflicts’ is a more practically useful framework, which also has parallels in attachment theory and offers pointers for risk assessment. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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