The Effects Of Multiple Interventions On Infants And Young Children

TF-CBT may address how family rejection, foster care placement, sexual abuse or physical, emotional abuse and/or neglect traumatizes a child. These types of complex trauma, in children, affects them biologically, emotionally, cognitively and it affects their self-perception (Cohen et al., 2012). TF-CBT applies therapy to children in phases which focuses on coping skills, processing trauma and understanding trauma experiences. Therapist integrate and consolidate these phases to create a generalized sense of safety and trust (Cohen et al.,

It is the primary caregiver who the child first begins to develop these intra- and interpersonal processes with. Future success of social-emotional development in children, is dependent upon the “the presence of caregiver-child relationships,” and the consistent, reliable, and empathic, positive serve and return of the caregiver (Briggs, Silver, Krug, Mason, Schrag, et al, 2014). Caregivers who have experienced childhood trauma, have a decreased ability to provide this type of interaction. Therefore, a child’s social-emotional development is at risk. Due to the caregiver’s traumatic history, they may have an inability to effectively interpret a child’s emotional state, and they may inappropriately respond to a child’s attempt for interaction. This caregiver may respond by using negative parenting practices including severe physical and psychological aggression, or neglectful behaviors (Briggs et al.). Thus, through inadequate parenting techniques, caregivers continue the intergenerational cycle (Brigs et

The government attempts continually to revise the foster care system to serve children more proficiently. However, more problems ensue these diligent efforts and modifications. In the article, “Influences on the Mental Health of Children Placed in Foster Care,” author Caroline R. Ellermann concludes, “Once in foster care, ongoing health problems and risk for further complications are exacerbated by (1) removal from the biological home and the trauma of parent separation,” (Ellermann, 2007, p. S23) The system designed to eradicate child abuse erroneously generated a trickle effect of problems. By the removal of these children, the government transpired additional emotional and health problems. Unbeknownst to the effect of the separation anxiety caused by the removal from biological family, these children became subject to abuse from the foster care system.

The representations of attachment disorder in children include such thoughts as: “I am bad and unlovable,” “my caregiver will not protect me from traumatic experiences,” and I am not able to get my caregiver to “respond consistently to my needs”. These children view their caregivers as unreliable, unresponsive, rejecting, and threatening. They should be responded to with empathy and calm as a means to reduce their arousal, as opposed to anger and discipline which can heighten the adverse physiological and behavioral outcomes the child is experiencing.

(Brian, S., Charles H., Z., & Michael, S. (2003). Exploring psychopathology in early childhood: PTSD and attachment disorders in DC: 0–3 and DSM-IV. Infant Mental Health Journal, 24(4), 398-409. )

Other health problems arise when the trauma from past experiences such as abuse or violence in the home cause long term effects in the children. The needs of children in foster care are multifaceted and the problems are exacerbated when the resources in the community are scarce and when the service system is fragmented (Halfon, Berkowitz, & Klee, 1993). Due to the complexity of their problems and the degree of vulnerability, a well-trained and

Children suffer significantly until someone decides to protect them. The government allocates funds to establish the foster care system and that system advances to enforce rights for children. When the right to remove children from an abusive situation first originated, the foster care system established a separation procedure for children from their abusive homes. This act of removing children from their families brought about psychological issues and trauma. Throughout earlier years, the foster care system adjusted their program according to the rules and regulations established to provide for the needs of children. However, problems keep appearing elsewhere. These children endure the brunt of every new philosophy in behavioral health management. Often, the biological parents will be left out of the solution. The foster care system develops services to train foster families in caring for foster children and behavioral issues. For some reason, the foster care system believes improvement simpler to reform the children and makes a trivial attempt of the reformation with family. The foster care system needs to try to achieve bonds within the biological family instead of the sole reliability on removal of children to be an adequate answer. The foster care system’s obligation should be to develop a training system for the rehabilitation of families and offer support to achieve the greatest outcome in child rearing. Foster care needs to adapt to supporting families emotionally,

Most youth in foster care have traumatic family histories and life experiences (including the removal from their birth family) that result in an increased risk for mental health disorders. A study of children in foster care revealed that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was diagnosed in 60% of sexually abused children and in 42% of the physically abused children (Dubner & Motta, 1999). The study also found that 18% of foster children who had not experienced either type of abuse had PTSD, possibly because of exposure to domestic or community violence (Marsenich, 2002).

One of this disadvantages of foster care, is there is an instability in the system. At times social workers are unaware that the placement of the child was ruled in court for the return of the child to their parents. Another disadvantage is that the transitory environment of the foster placements has been a problematic component in the child welfare system (Crosson-Tower, 2014, p. 316). Some children already experience attachment issues prior to removal from their home. These issues will further advance and creating more problems with the child. Since foster care is a temporary environment for the child, children may adjust to this temporary placement only to be removed and either return home or be placed with another temporary family. These transitions effect the child’s behaviors and emotions. The goal is to provide the child permanency. However, the foster care system is not meant to

Everywhere across the world, more and more children are being placed into foster care or a welfare type system. Foster care can benefit children or harm them; the effects of foster care differ for every individual. These types of systems often have a major effect on young children’s physiological state. Children entering in foster care are often malnourished and have untreated health problems. A high percentage of children who are placed in these types of systems have mental health, physical health, and/or developmental issue which often originates while the individuals are still in the custody of the biological parents. Children in foster care should be provided with a healthy and nurturing environment which often provides positive long term results. The age of children in a foster care varies across the world, but it is often seen that majority of these children are young (George para. 1). There are more young children in the system because younger children require more adequate care than older children that are already in the system. Placing these children in welfare systems is supposed to be a healing process for them. Although this is supposed to be a healing process, statistics say these children have a negative experience while being in these systems, but this is not always the case. A number of children in foster care fall sucker to continuous neglect and recurrent abuse with the lack of nurturing and an unstable environment. These same children often have unmet

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)

This report outlines the importance of Bion’s container/contained theory and Bowlby’s attachment theory in developing secure relationships. Sadly, abused infants form a disorganised attachment style which causes them as adults to adapt maladaptive parenting skills. This leads to intergenerational transmission of maltreatment. These parents tend to use fight, flight or freeze responses to cope with their traumatic past. However in saying that, if the abused parent has been able to develop a secure attachment with another individual, or access psychotherapy, the parent can learn healthy parenting behaviours, and is able to break the cycle of intergenerational transmission of trauma being passed on to future generations.

John Bowlby, who originally developed the theory of attachment, describes it as a “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” (Somerville, 2009). Furthermore, there are four main characteristic of infant attachment, proximity maintenance, safe haven, secure base, and separation distress. Proximity maintenance is the desire to stay close to the people we have formed an attachment. Safe haven refers to the action of returning to the attachment figure for comfort and safety when danger or fear is present. A secure base is a place where the attachment figure acts as a base of security from which a child can explore the surrounding world. Separation distress is the anxiety that occurs when the attachment figure is absent (Cherry, 2011).

Chapter 3 revolves around the individuals involved in the therapeutic process namely the therapist, child and parent. It describes foster care situation and its changeable nature these children have experienced, the need for the foster parent to have “considerable inner strength and maturity…” (pg44) and provide a “high degree of affective attunement”(pg45). The parent’s participation and the benefits are addressed throughout this book. An effective therapist must be compassionate, receptive to attunement and secure in their personal relationships. They consider the parent as a co-therapist, must have the ability to communicate effectively, be a facilitator for change and a role model, particularly in the instance of affective attunement. There is also a warning for any therapist undertaking the intensive deeply emotional work discussed, as the therapist you are in a position of power and so must not become complacent and remain vigilant, constantly monitoring the work delivered with supervision so no harm can be done to the child.

Because of the love and affection they receive, they learn to rely on the caregiver (mother) and to trust her. As they grow they learn by watching and imitating her, as well as by getting instructions and guidance from her. When they manage to do something, their learning is reinforced by her praise and approval. This is a normal scenario. This is the ideal environment for a child to develop his potential to the maximum. Moreover, studies have shown that infants who are abandoned and separated from their mothers become unhappy and depressed, sometimes to the point of panic. After long periods of separation and isolation, they show symptoms of apathy and withdrawal or restlessness, hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, and craving for affection.”