Relationships at Risk
Patricia M. Crittenden Mailman Center for Child Development University of Miami
Risk status is generally attributed to individuals. However, relationships between individuals can also be at risk for deterioration or termination. This can occur when the individuals are so displeased with each other that one or both consider abandoning the relationship (either physically or emotionally). Risk to relationship is particularly evident in cases of child abuse and neglect. As the extent of maltreatment becomes greater, one may assume that the internal threat to the parent-child relationship will increase. Furthermore, at some point, if the maltreatment is severe enough, society will intervene on the child's behalf and pose the external threat of separation in the form of foster care. In such cases, not only is the child at risk of continued maltreatment, but also the parent-child relationship is at risk of dissolution. This chapter focuses on: (a) the theoretical aspects of risks to relationships; (b) the empirical evidence of such risk and its influence on child development; and (c) the process of assessing risk to relationships. The chapter includes the results of an investigation aimed specifically at these issues.
A focus on risk to relationships in maltreating dyads is of theoretical interest because of the light it sheds on the essential nature of the attachment of the child to the parent. Evidence that attachment occurs in the absence of the emotional warmth associated with the concept of love will indicate that the attachment aspect of a relationship is both functionally and behaviorally distinct from other aspects of the relationship. Evidence of atypical patterns of attachment behavior accompanying risk to relationships will expand our understanding of the evolutionary adaptiveness of attachment behavior. The focus on risk to relationships is also of practi-