Attachment and Adolescents

Attachment styles are influenced by attachment experiences from various stages of life, including childhood, young adulthood, and adulthood. Early experiences with parenting styles and with other caregivers can shape how individuals relate to their caregiver and how they form and interact in other relationships later in life. Although attachment styles are fairly stable throughout the life span, adolescents are at a unique period of development, allowing for changes in attachment patterns through corrective experiences. This entry addresses the changes in relationships and manifestation and functioning of attachment styles during adolescence.

Adolescence is the stage of development marked by major changes, stress, and emotional turmoil. It is a time when individuals assert their independence by relying less on their primary caregivers. It is also a transformative stage ...