Are self-esteem and adult attachment affected by previous experiences of youth victimisation?

Some research show the impact of the traumatic experiences of emotional abuse during childhood in an insecure attachment style [ 1 ], leading to a negative attitude towards oneself and towards others [ 2 ]. Studies also show that child abuse is a significant predictor of low self-esteem in adulthood [ 3 ]. The objectives of the current study are to analyse the relationship between the youth victimisation and self-esteem in adulthood, the adult attachment and the youth victimisation, and the self-esteem in adults and the adult attachment. This study is important to show, in a Portuguese sample, how these variables are linked, providing knowledge about the implications of previous experiences of youth victimisation. The sample comprised 109 Portuguese participants, with ages between 18 and 68 years old (M = 33.96, SD = 13.97), and the majority was female (n = 82, 77.4%). Participants responded online to a sociodemographic questionnaire, a Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) [ 4 ], a Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) [ 5 ], and an Adult Attachment Scale-R (AAS-R) [ 6 ]. Portuguese versions of the questionnaires were used. The total score of the RSES revealed a significant statistical correlation with the CTQ subscales: Emotional Abuse (r=-0.233, p=.016), Emotional Neglect (r=-0.201, p=.039), and Physical Neglect (r=-0.235, p=.015). The total score of the CTQ showed significant statistical and correlations with the total score of the AAS-R and with its subscales: Anxiety (r = 0.198, p=.042), Close (r = 0.477, p