Background
While existing research has explored attachment styles and their associated outcomes, limited attention has been given to the potential link between attachment styles, vulnerability to love addiction, and acceptance of coercive behaviours within romantic relationships.
Aim
This study aimed to explore the relationship between attachment styles, love addiction and the acceptance of coercive behaviours in romantic relationships.
Methods
An online survey was distributed via social media to UK residents aged 18 and over who had been, or were currently, in a romantic relationship. Participants provided demographic information (age and gender) and responded to two Likert-scale measures and one binary (yes/no) measure assessing attachment style, love addiction and experiences with coercive control.
Results
Analysis revealed no significant relationship between attachment style and love addiction, nor between love addiction and coercion. However, a significant association was found between attachment style and coercive behaviours. Specifically, individuals with insecure attachment styles, such as anxious and avoidant, were more likely to accept or experience coercive behaviours from their romantic partners.
Discussion
These findings support existing literature suggesting that insecure attachment styles are linked to difficulties in forming and maintaining healthy adult relationships. Notably, the study also found that securely attached individuals are not immune to coercion, challenging the assumption that they are protected from such experiences.
Conclusion
Support systems and interventions should be inclusive of all attachment styles, as coercive control can affect both securely and insecurely attached individuals. Further research is needed to understand why individuals with insecure attachment may be more accepting of coercive behaviours, in order to inform more effective health and social care interventions and challenge assumptions within practice.
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