• Clare Bridget Noonan and Pamela Doreen Pilkington.
• School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Locked Bag 4115 Fitzroy, Victoria, 3065, Australia.
• Child Abuse Negl. 2020 Nov 1; 109: 104765.

BackgroundIntimate Partner Violence (IPV) is associated with increased risk of impairment to a child's emotional, behavioural, and psychological functioning. Further, the presence of IPV is negatively associated with a child's attachment to their primary caregivers, which is an additional risk factor for social, emotional, and psychological impairment.ObjectiveThe aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesise the evidence on the association between IPV and the attachment of infants, children, and adolescents to their primary caregiver/s.MethodA systematic review was completed, in accordance with the PRISMA statement, on IPV and the parent-child attachment of infants, children, and adolescents (18 years and younger). Meta-analyses were conducted to estimate the magnitude of these associations.ResultsA total of 15 studies were included. IPV was significantly associated with less secure child attachment. The pooled effect sizes (Pearson's r) for both longitudinal studies (n = 5) and cross-sectional and retrospective studies combined (n = 10) were small (r = -.22, 95 % CI [-.32, -.12], p < .001; r = -.10, 95 % CI [-.203, -.001], p = .048). Subgroup analyses identified that the effect size was larger when IPV and attachment were measured during infancy compared to childhood, and when attachment was measured via observational methods compared to self-report.ConclusionWhile the current literature base is limited, findings can inform further research alongside clinical assessment and intervention. It can also help guide attachment- and family-based intervention for families impacted by IPV.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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