Childhood Attachment Analysis

Intro
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported in 2013 that between the years 2010- 2011 there were 48,420 substantiations of child neglect and abuse across Australian States and Territories. In New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory neglect was the most commonly substantiated harm type (ABS, 2013). Bovarnick (2007) defines child neglect as “a deficit in meeting a child's basic needs including the failure to provide basic physical, health care, supervision, nutrition, emotional, education and/or safe housing needs.”. Bruce, Perry and Pollard (1997) explore the evidence that supports the fact that neglected children have a much higher probability of emotional, behavioural, social, cognitive, social and physical delays and dysfunction than ‘comparison’ normally developing children.
This essay will endeavour to explore and critically analyse the functional consequences …show more content…
Children who have been neglected of specific stimuli in their first 3 years of life have been found to demonstrate higher frequencies of insecure, anxious and avoidant attachments with their primary care givers then normal non-neglected children (Crouch & Milner, 1993). Wolfe (1993) found that 70 – 100% of maltreated infants did not form secure attachments with their primary caregivers. Children who have established that they cannot have their needs met by their primary care giver often assume that they cannot have their needs met by other adults either. This learnt behaviour often leads to children ceasing to seek warmth and help from others. This behaviour may in turn discourage teachers and peers from offering help or support, reinforcing negative expectations of the neglected child thus continuing the cycle of neglect and the reinforcement of negative behaviours (Erickson & Egeland,

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