Abstract
This study set out to examine five hypotheses: a) Individuals who have an insecure attachment will report lower perceived support than securely attached individuals; b) Insecurely attached individuals will engage in more risky sexual behavior and risky substance use, than securely attached individuals; c) Individuals who grew up in divorced homes will have a lower level of perceived support than those who lived in intact homes; d) Individuals who grew up in divorced homes will engage in more risky behaviors as compared to those who grew up in homes with married parents; and e) Lower levels of perceived support from parents will result in higher levels of engagement in risky behaviors. Results from a sample of 135 young adults indicated that those participants who were less avoidant and less anxiously attached, reported feeling a high level of care from their mothers, and perceived their mothers to be more overprotective of them while growing up. Participants with lower levels of anxious attachment styles perceived their fathers to be more protective, and those participants who scored high on both anxious and avoidant attachment styles perceived their fathers to be more caring. Those who lived in intact homes also perceived their mothers to be more caring and supportive. Limitations and future directions for further study on attachment and risky behaviors are also discussed.