Developmental patterns in security of attachment to mother and father in late childhood and early adolescence: Associations with peer relations

This study examined developmental differences in two dimensions of attachme nt security (parental availability and child dependency on parents) in late childhood (N = 274) and early adolescence (N = 267) and their association with peer relations. Children's perceptions of mother's availability and bo ys' perceptions of father's availability did not differ as a function of ag e. Dependency on parents, however, decreased with age. Findings highlight t he importance of distinguishing between parental availability and reliance on parental help when measuring attachment developmentally. Children's repo rts of positive friendship qualities and lack of conflict in their best fri endships were related to attachment to both mother and father, whereas the presence of a reciprocated friendship and popularity were not. Father avail ability was a particularly important predictor of lower conflict with best friends. Findings indicate that the quality of parent-child attachment gene ralizes primarily to the quality of children's close peer relations.