Social Networks, Quality of Child Rearing, and Child Development

CRITTENDEN, PATRICIA M. Social Networks, Quality of Child Rearing, and Child Development. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1985, 56, 1299-1313. The relation between social support and child development was tested in 121 maltreating and adequate mother-child dyads. 3 patterns of social support were identified: (a) stable, open, and cooperative; (b) stable, closed, and withdrawn; and (c) unstable, open, and hostile. The maternal patterns of social support were related to the child's security of attachment but did not account for as much variance as maltreatment status and did not account for any additional variance. The results were interpreted through attachment theory in terms of the concept of working models of relationships.