Attachment And Its Impact On Children

John Bowlby developed his Attachment Theory to examine and explore the contextual relationships between a child and their caregiver and their behavioral repercussions. He describes it is “a way of conceptualizing the propensity of human beings to make strong affectional bonds to particular others and of explaining the many forms of emotional distress and personality disturbance, including anxiety, anger, depression, and emotional detachment, to which unwilling separation and loss give rise” (Bowlby, 1979, p. 127). An infant’s attachment to their primary caregiver establishes a sense of security, through protection, so the infant is able to explore the world with confidence and without threat and risk. During a child’s

Bowlby’s attachment theory has greatly influenced practice. His theory of attachment explains the importance of having a figure that the child shares a strong bond with. Having an attachment can significantly support a child’s development as Barbara Woods suggests that “his theory of attachment proposed that attachment is innate in both infants and mothers, and that the formation of this attachment is crucial for the infants development” Wood, B (2001, p.53). Bowlby believed that forming an attachment will help a child develop in all areas e.g. emotionally, physical and mentally. However if they did not form an attachment in the sensitive period, the child may have issues or problems in their cognitive, emotional and social development.

John Bowlby’s work in attachment has been the foundation when determining the attcahments and bonds that a child and parent may experience (Webb, 2011). According to Bowlby, “attachment” is referring to a lasting, mutual bond of affection that is dependent on an individual or more than one person (Webb, 2011). Establishing a secure attachment during infancy and early childhood is an important task of a parent or a caregiver. Not all parents or caregivers can provide their child with a secure attachment at this important in life due to various reasons. Since parents are the main providers in their child’s development of attachment, their lives and history has a great influence on their children’s lives.

The importance of a healthy attachment in early childhood development can lead to a better adult development and skills for daily life. A secure and healthy attachment to the caregiver in infancy to adolescence showcases the importance of building strong relationships and coping skills during periods of stress and anxiety. The research that has been found, goes into detail about the different types of attachments that infants and children can develop as well as what negative and positive aspects come along with the attachments.

Infant attachment is the first relationship a child experiences and is crucial to the child’s survival (BOOK). A mother’s response to her child will yield either a secure bond or insecurity with the infant. Parents who respond “more sensitively and responsively to the child’s distress” establish a secure bond faster than “parents of insecure children”. (Attachment and Emotion, page 475) The quality of the attachment has “profound implications for the child’s feelings of security and capacity to form trusting relationships” (Book). Simply stated, a positive early attachment will likely yield positive physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development for the child. (BOOK)

John Bowlby’s work in attachment has been one of the foundational works when determining the level of attachments and bonds that a child and parent may experience (Webb, 2011). According to Bowlby, “attachment” is referring to a lasting, mutual bond of affection that is dependent on an individual or more than one person (Webb, 2011). Establishing a secure attachment during infancy and early childhood is an important task of a parent or a caregiver. Not all parents or caregivers can provide their child or children with a secure attachment at this important in life due to various reasons. Since parents are the main providers in their child’s development of attachment, their lives and history have a great influence on their children’s lives.

Bowlby’s work on attachment theory shows infants treated well develop a secure attachment. Hence they have a good foundation for healthy self-esteem, behavior, and future relationships (Barnet, Ganiban, & Cicchetti, 1991). If the infant develops an insecure bond with the caregiver, they may develop mental disturbances (Cicchetti, Ganiban, & Barnett, 1991). Mary Ainsworth, Bowlby’s contemporary, applied Bowlby’s theory in her research. In 1978, Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, and Wall, created the strange situation technique to study one year old infant attachments (as cited in Colonnesi et al., 2011, p.631). Results of their analysis led to three categories of attachment. They distinguished a secure (B), an insecure avoidant (A), and insecure ambivalent attachment (C)

To develop into a psychologically healthy human being, a child must have a relationship with an adult who is nurturing, protective, and fosters trust and security.19 Attachment refers to this relationship between 2 people and forms the basis for long-term relationships or bonds with other persons. Attachment is an active process—it can be secure or insecure, maladapative or productive. Attachment to a primary caregiver is essential to the development of emotional security and social conscience.20 Optimal child development occurs when a spectrum of needs are consistently met over an extended period. Successful parenting is based on a healthy, respectful, and long-lasting relationship with the child. This process of parenting, especially in

Attachment starts to develop since the women’s pregnancy, during this stage of human development the female starts to cultivate emotional attachment to the fetus. The method in which attachment is formed during gestation will eventually affect or enhance the child stance during pregnancy or even after birth. Attachment can be defined as the manner in which an infant creates an emotional connection between specific members. Attachment can be clearly detected, especially with the persons who are closer to the infant. In the article “Attachment Issues”, states the definition of attachment by theorist John Bowlby, and how attachment is constructed “Is not a one-time event, but a process that begins during birth and progress into the early

Attachment can be described as a bond; this bond typically belongs most often to baby and mother. This bond or emotional tie, is increased through a few factors, body contact and familiarity. Both of these factors are crucial to the development of attachment, though in some cases where one or both are absent, it can have detrimental effects. According to Myers & Dewall (2016) there are two forms of attachment, secure and insecure attachment. These two forms contradict each other, babies with secure attachment are playful, explorative, and happy in the presence of their mothers, while babies with insecure attachment are more anxious and less explorative. Some believe that it is not always the parenting that decides the attachment style the baby has, but rather their own genetics. Temperament is directly related to attachment styles by decided the way babies react to parenting styles. There are some cases where babies have a lack of attachment, this being never an ideal situation. Children raised in environments without love, factors of attachment, or even any emotional stimulation, can become extremely disconnected. The example of this being Romania in the 1970's and 80's, children showed a huge decline versus children with attachment. A massive decrease in intelligence, social ability, and even cognitive development (Myers & Dewall 2016). Maternal Depression can cause harm to the baby and mother if the depression is severe

The mother is usually the first and primary object of attachment for an infant, but in many cultures, babies become just as attached to their fathers, siblings, and grandparents. When infants are attached to their caregivers, they gain a secure base from which babies can explore their environment and a haven of safety to return to when they are afraid. Attachment begins with physical touching and cuddling between infant and parent. Some babies become secure or insecure attached. Normal, healthy attachment will happen within a wide range of cultural, family, and individual variations in child-rearing customs. Studies of Strange Situation have distinguished secure from insecure attachment. Insecurity can take one of two forms: avoidant and anxious-ambivalent attachment.

There is a critical period during infancy known as attachment, the emotional and physiological closeness between an infant and their caregiver, which facilitates the maturation of the brain systems. Such brain systems are involved in self-regulatory abilities like attention, behavioral and emotions management, etc. When an infant is unable to control these abilities then they will depend on attentive adults (caregivers), to help regulate their needs. Researchers, Schore & Schore (2008), explicates the expansion of John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory (1969). Ordinarily, Bowlby's Theory, suggests that as the infant develops cognitively, the extent of attachment will shift with the caregiver’s attentiveness to the child’s needs. The expansion of Bowlby’s

Attachment is an integral part of the human condition, through it bonds are created between child and caregiver and these bond help contribute to a developing person’s sense of self and the world around them. These feeling of connection carry over from parent, to child, to later life from the person to their partner and then their own children. Attachment theory grew out of the understanding that young children in their early fragile stages of development require protection and security to increase their chance of survival, protection is present in the form of the parents from whom physical and a psychological sense of security comes. The infant sees their parents as a protector and a secure base through which they can always turn to in moments of stress when experiencing the world (Browne & Shlosberg, 2006).

Berzoff, Flangan, and Hertz (2008) recognize Ainsworth differentiated two types of attachment styles. The first type is avoidant infants, who did not protest their mother’s leaving and did not respond to her immediately upon her return. Ainsworth’s second type is insecurity, ambivalent infants (also called resistant) were upset when their mothers left and seemed to welcome their return, but did not calm down readily and they often resisted their mothers attempt to calm them down. Max is a four year old child, who experienced a full term labor. Holistically his biological functioning was determined as appropriate having met all of his developmental milestones. Unexpectedly, Max experienced repeated trauma in early childhood and he was separated from his biological mother.

John Bowlby’s attachment theory established that an infant’s earliest relationship with their primary caregiver or mother shaped their later development and characterized their human life, “from the cradle to the grave” (Bowlby, 1979, p. 129). The attachment style that an infant develops with their parent later reflects on their self-esteem, well-being and the romantic relationships that they form. Bowlby’s attachment theory had extensive research done by Mary Ainsworth, who studied the mother-infant interactions specifically regarding the theme of an infant’s exploration of their surrounding and the separation from their mother in an experiment called the strange situation. Ainsworth defined the four attachment styles: secure,