Adolescents and peer attachment: attachment styles, peer trust, communication, and alienation in light of gender

Abstract EN

The current study aimed to explore peer attachment among Algerian adolescents with particular focus on gender differentials, more specifically, the prevalence and differences in the average degrees of each one of peer attachment determinants (levels, styles, and dimensions peer attachment) among the study sample.

in order to achieve this goal, a quantitative research was carried out employing a descriptive analytical approach, through which, the emotional attachment scale for adolescents in its form of attachment to friends by Abdul Rahman and al Omari (2014) (codified by the researchers) was administered to a sample consisting of (130) adolescents.

the study resulted in several noteworthy findings: foremost among them, the 'high level' of peer attachment, the dimension of 'peer trust', and the 'secure attachment style' are the most prevalent peer attachment dimensions among the study sample, and although there were no statistically significant differences in light of gender in all said determinants among the sample members, a statistically significant difference in peer communication is present, in which the differences are in favor of females.