Association Between Different Attachment Styles and Trends of Engagement in Violent Video Games: A Study Among Lebanese Male Adolescents.

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Objective: To evaluate the association of different attachment styles with the exposure of Lebanese male adolescents to violent video games. :

Methods: This cross-sectional survey study was conducted between October and December 2019 among 388 Lebanese male adolescents (aged 13-17 years) from 5 Lebanese schools. Participants answered questions regarding the 4 attachment styles (secure, preoccupied, fearful, and dismissing) and violent video game engagement. :

Results: Dismissing attachment style (β = -1.389) was significantly associated with less violent video gaming. Higher fearful attachment style (β = 2.981) was significantly associated with more violent video gaming. :

Conclusions: Adolescents with more insecure attachment styles were found to be more engaged in violent video games. Further research is needed on stress and empathy in association with these attachment styles to investigate whether they have an impact on violent gaming exposure. Future studies should focus on the type of video games and whether they require interaction with others.