Attachment Style, Peer Relations, and Psychosocial Adjustment Among Adolescents in Displaced Communities in Borno State

This study examines the relationships among attachment style, peer relations quality, and psychosocial adjustment in adolescents living in internally displaced person camps in Borno State, North East Nigeria. Displacement disrupts primary attachment relationships and peer social networks, creating conditions that are psychologically destabilising for adolescents at a critical developmental stage. The study employs a cross-sectional survey design, recruiting 260 adolescents aged 12 to 18 from three IDP camp settlements in Maiduguri. The Revised Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (adapted for adolescent use), the Network of Relationships Inventory, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were used as instruments. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Results indicate that secure attachment style significantly predicts positive peer relations quality, which in turn mediates the relationship between attachment and psychosocial adjustment outcomes. Adolescents with anxious or avoidant attachment profiles showed significantly poorer peer relations and higher emotional and behavioural difficulty scores. Camp-based structured peer group activities served as a partial compensatory mechanism for adolescents with insecure attachment histories, improving peer relations independently of attachment style. These findings extend attachment theory to the extreme ecological context of displacement, highlighting the protective role of structured peer socialisation even in adversity. Humanitarian agencies and educational practitioners working in Borno IDP camps are advised to invest in structured peer group and mentoring programmes as psychosocial recovery tools. Keywords: attachment style, peer relations, psychosocial adjustment, displaced adolescents, Borno State.