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Assess The Impact Of Institutionalisation On Institutionalised Children

Decent Essays

Prompt: The law has been obeyed, but justice has not been done.
The impact of institutionalisation on childhood development has been a long-lasting debate. Many people believed that the behavioural problems of institutionalised children were innate, and in fact, the reason their parents had given them up. Research on the dangers of institutional care for children dates back to the 1940’s and after many studies, scientists have found a conclusive connection between institutionalisation and delayed physical, psychological and cognitive development.
Orphanages have always had an alarmingly high death rate which was often blamed on the spread on contagious disease. However one study conducted by physician and psychoanalyst, Rene Spits, demonstrated the necessity of social interaction for normal childhood growth and development. His theory was that these children were not suffering from disease, but from lack of love.
To test this, Spitz compared a group of children raised in isolated cribs in an orphanage, with those raised in gaol by their own imprisoned mothers. The children in the orphanage would have one nurse …show more content…

They were separated from their family, their community and their culture. The range of problems encountered by the Stolen Generation included feelings of loneliness, loss of identity, and difficulties finding their religious beliefs. Victims of the Stolen Generation often have trouble applying for legal documents as their birth date and place is not always known, or documented. They feel like they do not belong with any particular group or religion; Aboriginal or European. These feelings often lead to a variety of psychological problems, such as such metal illness and substance and alcohol abuse. Even when the opportunity to become reunited with their family does arise, it is incredibly difficult to shift the deep sense of resentment that is felt by many Aboriginal

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