Reactive Attachment Theory Essay

The majority of developmental theories say that children must develop a secure primary attachment in order to develop in a healthy manner. A secure and strong attachment is clearly essential for healthy future relationships. John Bowlby’s studies in childhood development led him to the conclusion that a strong attachment to a caregiver provides a necessary sense of security and foundation. Without such a relationship in place, Bowlby found that a great deal of developmental energy is expended in the search for stability and security. In general, those without such attachments are fearful and are less willing to seek out and learn from new

Reactive attachment disorder is rare. Children with this have less engagement and don’t seek comfort from others. Children with disinhibited social engagement don’t fear strangers and will wonder off from their caregivers which is in contrast to children with secure attachments. They may also seek attention and have inappropriate physical contact. Poor attachments foremost effects the relationship between parent and child, but it can also effect the child’s ability to deal with stress and problems processing emotion.

A healthy or secure attachment develops over time because of a caregiver’s consistent, sensitive care that they have towards a young child. Each time a caregiver interacts in ways that focus fully on the individual child, it furthers connections. When a caregiver attempts to read a baby’s cues and tries to respond to the child’s needs and wishes, the baby learns the caregiver is a source of comfort and security. Children with secure attachments learn that their world is a safe place because the people in it are caring and understanding. They also learn that their ways of communicating result in others responding and understanding them. This reinforces their efforts to continue to express themselves to others. Consistent back-and-forth exchanges that happen over time are one of the ways to build positive relationships. Children with secure attachments feel confident in exploring their environment, which allows them to learn. It’s the accumulation of intimacy during these numerous interactions that turns ordinary tasks into a relationship-based curriculum.

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.

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is one of a group of behavioral disorders in the disruptive behavior disorders category. Children who have these disorders tend to be disruptive with a pattern of disobedient, hostile, and defiant behavior toward authority figures. These children often rebel, are stubborn, argue with adults, and refuse to obey. They have angry outbursts, have a hard time controlling their temper, and display a constant pattern of aggressive behaviors. ODD is one of the more common mental health disorders found in children and adolescents (AACAP, 2009). It is also associated with an increased risk for other forms of psychopathology, including other disruptive behavior disorders as well as mood or anxiety problems (Martel,

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

Everyone has an attachment style from which they developed in the first two years of their life. This attachment style tends to stay consistent with each person throughout their lifetime and affects their social-emotional development, and thus relationships with other people. Attachment styles greatly affect the choice one makes in life partners, and how they parent their own children. It is important for everyone to gain insight on their own attachment style if they are to know their emotional limits and how to strengthen their flaws in order to develop a better-self and stronger relationships with other people (Norcross, 2011). It is even more so important for caregivers to be aware of their attachment style and how sensitively available they are to the children in their lives. How the primary caregiver responds to the child’s needs, determines the attachment style the child will acquire. To develop a secure attachment the child needs to establish confidence in a reliable caregiver. In this paper I will be talking about the behaviors and interactions that I observed while watching the film “Babies”, and what attachment styles may be formed as a result of those interactions.

This essay will examine key research of attachment theories, parenting styles and emotional needs of children and how parents and carers support that. Attachment theory is the basis of building relationships with your care givers and people around you. I will be describing how attachment theory relates with the emotional needs of the children and how parenting can influence this. Children either develop a secure or an unsecure attachment with their caregiver, either plays a huge part in their children’s emotional development. It needs to be explained throughout this essay what it is that parents and carers can do to provide secure attachments with our children, and support their children’s emotional needs.

The definition of attachment involves an affectional bond that infants need to form with a differentiated and preferred individual that becomes an attachment figure, consisting in a sustained nurturing relationship with the sensitive caregiver (Bowlbly, 1979). Attachment is conceptualized as an evolutionary feature: individuals can create a secure base around which one is able to explore and gain independence as well as a safe haven to which individuals can return and be reassured in a situation of distress or danger (Ainsworth et al., 1978; Bowlby, 1969). On the contrary, unresponsive or atypical ways of parenting can lead to aberrant behaviours or, if others risk factors are present, to psychopathology (Jacobsen, Edelstein, Hoffman, 1994; Schaffer, 1996). Secure attachment with the primary caregiver is necessary for social and emotional regulation as well as cognitive and resilience abilities(Bowlby, 1982; Ainsworth & Bell,1970); insecure attachment affects individuals’ life in many aspects, especially the ability to face distress (Macbeth et al., 2011), and not too rarely the aftermaths of an insane attachment can culminate in personality disorders (Crawford et al.,

The formation of secure attachments with the primary caregiver is thought to be of great significance by John Bowlby, who believed that the infant was completely reliant on the caregiver to care and provide for them (as cited in Psychology, Martin, Carlson & Buskist). Those children with sensitive caregivers would grow up to be more confident and developed in all aspects of life, for example forming relationships in later life. Those with unresponsive caregivers would see the world as unpredictable and unreliable. Nelson (1996) claimed that the bond between the primary caregiver and child is extremely important in how an infant sees the world around them (as cited in Attachment from infancy to childhood). Yet, attachments, in this case insecure ones, are not the only reason as to why we develop into the individuals we are. There are other causes that are unrelated to attachment that explain our later development.

An infant with a secure attachment style has a natural bond with their parent, where they are able to trust them, at the same time leaving their side to discover and explore their surroundings. In an insecure/resistant attachment the relationship the child has with their mother or caregiver is very clingy, thus making them very upset once the caregiver is away. When the mother or caregiver is back they are not easily comforted and resist their effort in comforting them. In an insecure/avoidant attachment the infant is, “indifferent and seems to avoid the mother, they are as easily comforted by a stranger, as by their parent” (Siegler 2011, p.429). Lastly, the disorganized/disoriented attachment is another insecure attachment style in which the infant has no way of coping with stress making their behavior confusing or contradictory. Through these brief descriptions of the attachment theory, many researchers have defined the turning point in which each attachment definition can have an influence on one’s self esteem, well-being and their marital relationship.

Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a complex condition that can result from neglect or abuse, which causes the child from infancy to about the age of five, never able to form a bond or attachment to a caregiver. Attachment effects brain develop at infancy, and without secure attachments the child’s social behaviors throughout childhood to adolescents is hindered. Erickson’s theory provides a good outline of how a child with RAD responds differently to situations than a typical child who has no attachment issues. Erickson’s industry versus inferiority is a good example of how children with RAD will judge themselves more negatively, for example incompetent versus competent, useless versus productive, losers rather than winners (Berger, 2014). Children with secure attachments to caregivers know they

Caregivers play a primary role in how a child may develop. The daily interaction between the caregiver and child continually changes the pathway in which the child may take. How the child is raised and the parenting style used is a significant influence on that development by affecting the relationship between parent and child. This supports the Attachment theory in which emphasizes relationship between the child and caregiver as a key factor in development.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is an example of a disruptive disorder. Although there are no clear cut causes of ODD, there are factors that play a role in the development of the disorder. They include biological factors, psychological factors, and social factors (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2009). Biological factors include having a parent with a history of ADHD, ODD, or Conduct Disorder (CD), a parent with a mood disorder such as depression or bipolar disorder, parent has a problem with drinking or substance abuse, there is a brain-chemical imbalance, exposure to toxins, and poor nutrition (2009). Psychological factors include having a poor relationship with one or more parent, a parent who is neglectful or absent, and having difficulty or inability to form social relationships or process social cues (2009).

As humans, building relationships between others is a form of connecting and communicating. It is a social situation that is experienced every day through the course of a lifetime. The initial relationship that is made is between the mother and the child. This bond that connects two people is known to be called attachment. The theory of attachment begins at birth, and from that, continuing on to other relationships in family, friends, and romance. Attachment is taught through social experiences, however the relationship with the mother and her temperament are the key factors in shaping the infants attachment type, which