Child maltreatment and adulthood violence: the contribution of attachment and drug abuse.

This study examined the association between child maltreatment and adult violence in a high-risk sample of women with and without a history of cocaine abuse and the contribution of working models of childhood attachment relationships in understanding this association. Results indicated that whereas childhood physical abuse was associated with adult sexual victimization for cocaine-abusing women, sexual abuse was associated with both partner violence victimization and perpetration for comparison women. Insecure working models of attachment were associated with partner violence victimization for comparison women, independent of the effect of sexual abuse. These findings suggest the importance of research focused on understanding the processes by which child maltreatment may lead to later violence and that examines both childhood and adulthood experiences in understanding pathways to adult violence.