Attachment and bonding COURSE 1 b.ed notes
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The document discusses attachment and bonding between infants/children and their caregivers. It defines attachment as the emotional bond formed between a child and their primary caregiver, usually a parent, that develops over time through responsive caregiving. Bonding refers to the emotional connection felt by the caregiver towards the child. Healthy attachment provides children with security to explore their world and shapes their relationships and development. There are two main styles of attachment - secure attachment, which develops from consistent and responsive care, and insecure attachment, which can result from inconsistent or insensitive caregiving. The quality of early attachment relationships impacts children's lifelong social and emotional well-being.
Attachment and bonding COURSE 1 b.ed notes
- 1. COURSE 1 MODULE 3 Unit 6 Namrata Saxena, Asst Professor, PCER, New Panvel. B) Issues and Implications of changing family structure:- a) Attachment and Bonding Introduction The most important property of humankind is the capacity to form and maintain relationships. These relationships are absolutely necessary for any of us to survive, learn, work, love, and procreate. Empathy, caring, sharing, inhibition of aggression, capacity to love, and a host of other characteristics of a healthy, happy, and productive person are related to the core attachment capabilities which are formed in infancy and early childhood. The first and most important of all relationships are attachment bonds. Initially, these are created through interactions with our primary caregivers, usually parents. First relationships help define our capacity for attachment and set the tone for all of our future relationships. What Is Attachment? Attachment is an emotional bond between an infant or toddler and primary caregiver, a strong bond being vital for the child’s normal behavioral and social development. 'Attachment' refers to the enduring 'tie' of affection that the baby develops towards their main carers, usually their parents. John Bowlby, a British doctor, first described how the security of the attachment that an infant makes with their parents becomes the foundation for emotional wellbeing. DEFINITIONS Attachment can be defined as an emotional bond between two people in which each seeks closeness and feels more secure when in the presence of the attachment figure. Papalia et al., (1999) define it as a reciprocal, enduring, relationship between infant and caregiver, each of whom contributes to the quality of the relationship. Attachment is a deep and enduring affectionate bond that connects one person to another across time and space (Ainsworth 1973; Bowlby 1969).
- 2. According to Ainsworth (1979), it may be "an essential part of the ground plan of the human species for an infant to become attached to a mother figure". There are a number of definitions offered by different psychologists but these two seem typical: Schaffer (1993): ‘A close emotional relationship between two persons, characterized by mutual affection and a desire to maintain proximity.’ In a similar vein, Maccoby (1980) describes four characteristics of an attachment: Seeking proximity, the desire to be close to the person to whom you are attached. Separation anxiety, the distress that results from being separated from that person. Pleasure when reunited, relief and observable joy when reunited with them. General orientation of behavior towards the caregiver, the child’s awareness of where the person is, and the reassurance they feel by them being close. CHARACTERISTICS OF ATTACHMENT: Attachment isa reciprocal processinwhichanemotional connectiondevelopsbetweenan infantandtheirprimarycaretaker(mostoftenthe mother). Unique Features of an Attachment Bond Enduring form of a bond with a "special" person Involves soothing, comfort, and pleasure Loss or threat of loss of the special person evokes intense distress There is security and safety in context of this relationship Attachment relationships are characterized by specific behaviors in children, like showing preference for or retreating to the attachment figure when threatened or upset, and using the attachment figure as a secure base while exploring their world. Specific attachment behaviors in adults include attending to the needs of the child, responding to the child’s signals, and looking toward the child. Attachment behaviors show remarkable similarity across varied cultures. Most children direct attachment behavior toward more than one preferred person. However, children are highly selective about attachment figures, and so are likely to be attached to just a few. Usually children are attached to family (e.g., mother, father, and siblings), but they may also be attached to nonfamily (e.g., teachers or childcare providers). Right from the start, babies begin to build an attachment to familiar carers who respond to their day-to-day physical and emotional needs. In any family, attachment must be achieved in order for the child to flourish. Time and interaction are needed. It starts with a promise, a promise from parents to child that says, “you count, and you can always rely on me.” From this promise will come the baby’s sense that the parents matter more than anyone else, leading to the baby’s reliance on them. Parents then begin
- 3. enjoying their ability to nurture with competence. Richly rewarding feelings grow back and forth as each comes to believe: we belong together. FUNCTIONS OF ATTACHMENT : Attachment has at least two functions pertinent to classrooms or even home 1. Attachment provides feelings of security, so that children can explore freely. While all children seek to feel secure, attachment helps them balance this need with their innate motivation to explore their environment. 2. Attachment forms the basis for socializing children. As children and adults are drawn together and interact harmoniously, children adopt the adults’ behavior and values. 3. Attachment influences the infant’s physical, cognitive, and psychological development and becomes the basis for the development of basic trust (or mistrust). 4. Attachment shapes how the child will relate to the world around her, how she will learn in school, and form relationships throughout life. 5. Attachment actually affects the way the brain develops … or does not develop. Healthy attachment occurs when the infant experiences a primary caretaker as consistently providing emotional essentials such as love, touch, playful interaction, comfort, emotional regulation, prizing and mirroring, as well as the attuned meeting of physical needs (food, shelter, movement, etc.). ATTACHMENT AND BONDING Terms such as "attachment" and "bonding" often are used interchangeably. However, the meanings can be quite different. Attachment is the word used to refer to the relationship developed between an infant and a parent or primary caregiver during the first two to three years of life. How this relationship forms is dependent on how a parent responds to a child's needs for care, comfort and security. It develops gradually and goes through a variety of phases. Note that this attachment refers to a child's feelings for parents and actions in the relationship and not to the parent's feelings about the child. Bonding The process of bonding refers to the intense emotional connection that the parent feels for the baby. Some parents feel this straight away and others take time to get to know their baby. Bonding and attachment are different Attachment Bonding Definitions Start Attachment can be defined as an emotional connection that develops between an infant and the primary caregiver. Attachment is a two-way reciprocal process between parents and their children. Bonding can be defined as the attachment that the parent or primary caregiver feels for the infant. Bonding is a one-way process that begins in the birth mother during pregnancy and continues through the first few days of life. It is her
- 4. Type of Connection Nature In attachment, it is both the infant and the caregiver. Attachment is more emotional instinctive desire to protect her baby. Bonding is the feeling initiated by the primary caregiver. Bonding involves taking care of the needs of the infant. Simply stated, bonding is the process of forming an attachment. Just as bonding is the term used when gluing one object to another, bonding is using our emotional glue to become connected to another. Bonding, therefore, involves a set of behaviors that will help lead to an emotional connection (attachment). Types of Attachment Relationships (primary attachment figure and secondary attachment figure) The attachment relationship that a young child forms during the first two years of life takes time to develop. Typically, infants will develop this relationship with the parent(s) or person who provides the most direct, responsive care to their needs. This type of attachment with one to two significant adults is the primary attachment relationship. Then children will form supporting relationships with other caring adults, which fall into the category of secondary attachment relationships. Ideally, a child will be able to form one to two strong and positive attachment relationships with parents, and then have a supportive web of secondary attachments with siblings, aunts and uncles, grandparents, close friends, caregivers, etc. This is the most positive environment for a young child. ATTACHMENT STYLES When speaking of attachment, there are two styles of attachment. Remember that this refers to a child's quality of connection to an adult caregiver, not the parent's feelings about the child. They are, Secure Attachment Insecure attachment
- 5. SECURE Attachment: A secure attachment is an advantage for a whole life time. SECURE ATTACHMENT A secure attachment is likely to develop when an adult is sensitive and attuned to the baby’s communications, and when the adult provides consistent and predicable care which meets the needs of the baby quickly and reliably. Securely attached infants have pleasurable interactions with their main carers and they can rely on them to be a source of comfort when they are distressed. When a parent comforts their baby, they are letting her know that they care about her feelings and promoting her sense of wellbeing. Her sense of wellbeing will become a source of later resilience, and will help her to develop trusting relationships. INSECURE ATTACHMENTS: Not all babies are securely attached. Insecure attachment occurs An insecure attachment is likely to develop when the adult is insensitive and not well attuned to the baby’s communications, and when the care is inconsistent and unpredictable and does not satisfy the baby’s needs quickly or reliably. Insecure attachments can have unfortunate consequences. If a child cannot rely on an adult to respond to their needs in times of stress, they are unable to learn how to soothe themselves, manage their emotions and engage in reciprocal relationships. When Attachment Goes Wrong If a child has few positive relationships in early childhood or has had a bad start due to problems with the primary-caregiving experiences of infancy, this child is at risk for a host of problems. In a very real sense, the glue of normal human interactions is gone. A child with poor attachment capacity is much harder to "shape" and teach. This child will feel little pleasure from the teacher's smile or approving words. And he does not feel bad disappointing, angering, or upsetting a parent or teacher. Without the capacity to use human interactions to "reward" and "punish," the teacher and parent often are confused and frustrated in their attempts to promote appropriate social behavior. In extreme cases, the child with poor attachment capacity demonstrates no remorse when harming others and risk developing further anti-social or even aggressive and violent behaviors. This child needs help. Research and clinical experience show that attachment capacity is easiest to shape if early identification and intervention takes place.
- 6. CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN WITH SECURE AND INSECURE ATTACHMENTS: SECURE ATTACHMENT INSECURE ATTACHMENT Children who are secure in their attachments more freely explore their environment and are able to learn with confidence, Children who are insecure are more likely to struggle in being confident and learning about their surroundings. Children who are secure tend to be more popular with peers and exhibit more positive social interaction with other kids, Children who are insecure seem more at risk for hostile, anti-social or difficult relationships with other children. Children who are secure tend to be more emotionally stable and able to express and manage their feelings well, Children who are insecure are more likely to be emotionally unstable and have difficulty in expressing and managing feelings. Children who are secure demonstrate greater ability to handle stress and help others handle stress Children who are insecure are more likely to struggle when stressed, act out in unhealthy ways and be insensitive to others who are stressed. Secure attachment can promote self- esteem in children Be better problem-solvers Form friendships and be leaders with peers Be more empathetic and less aggressive Engage their world with confidence Have higher self-esteem Be better at resolving conflict Be more self-reliant and adaptable duration of learning achievement Be socially withdrawn from peers Be overly dependent on adults (e.g., teachers) Have lower self-confidence Victimize or be victimized by peers Form fewer friendships Be less emotionally healthy Unfocussed Disruptive Controlling Withdrawn Destructive • These children tend to underachieve in school and are often punished and even excluded. Little that schools do seems to work. As a result, these children may not fulfil their potential as adults, either in employment or relationships
- 7. co-operative and self-regulative emotional and behavioural problems less biased in interpreting behaviour of others -aware (self- knowledge) ADVANTAGES OF Secure attachment is one of the main sources of later resilience in childhood. Securely attached children achieve better outcomes across all domains including, social and emotional development; behaviour; relationships with peers, and learning. Attachment patterns that develop over the first few years of life continue to influence mental health and psychological functioning throughout childhood and the adult years Secure attachments support mental processes that enable the child to regulate emotions, reduce fear, attune to others, have self- understanding and insight, empathy for others and appropriate moral reasoning Secure attachment is associated with higher grades and standardized test scores compared to insecure attachment. Secure attachment is also associated with greater emotional regulation, social competence, and willingness to take on challenges, and with lower levels of ADHD and delinquency, each of which in turn is associated with higher achievement. Characterized by children who become anxious and seek parents but then struggle to get away, are reluctant to explore the environment, become upset easily and exhibit frustration with their parents' responses to them. These children tend to be ‘clingy’ but also unable to be comforted by care when it is offered. Children who are insecure attached, do not show their need for comfort and develop strategies to comfort themselves. likely to be stressed They are also more likely to have emotional and behavioural problems. develop a range of mental health problems REASONS/CAUSES FOR INSECURE ATTACHMENTS Factors That Affect Attachment Security What factors affect attachment security? Are there some issues greater than others? (1) First, having the opportunity to develop a close personal relationship with one or only a few caregivers is crucially important. (2) Warm responsive parenting should lead to greater attachment security. (3) As babies actively contribute to the attachment relationship, an infant’s characteristics should make a difference in how well he/she develops. (4) Family circumstances influence attachment quality. Stressors, such as anxiety and instability, job loss, failing marriage, financial difficulties, may interfere with the sensitivity of parental care 5. Poverty 6. Parental mental health difficulties 7. -Exposure to neglect, domestic violence or other forms of abuse 8. Alcohol/drug taking during pregnancy 9. -Multiple home and school placements 10. Premature birth 11.Abandonment 12.Family bereavement
- 8. Which children are more likely to show insecure attachment -Children in areas of social and economic deprivation -Children in care -Adopted children whose early experiences of trauma continue to affect their lives -Disabled children -Children with medical conditions or illness -Children who have moved home frequently during the early years e.g. forces families -Refugees and children who have been traumatised by conflict or loss BUT … insecure attachments may occur within non-vulnerable children as well The importance of attachment quality can be significant. How do such attachments develop? Role of the teacher Attachment influences students’ school success. This is true of students’ attachment to their parents, as well as to their teachers. Support for children who have attachment disorders will include work on: • raising self-esteem • pro-social skills • emotional literacy • forming friendships • resilience • building trust and empathy. What you can do to promote the development of healthy attachment: In general: (both teachers and parents can do this) Smile and look children in the eyes as you greet them Spend time with the child. Quantity matters. During this time, get on the floor, listen and establish eye contact. Use touch to comfort-even as a school teacher, it is appropriate gently touch a shoulder, or hold hands. Help children learn appropriate social-emotional language (how close to stand, how to use eye contact, when to touch, how to touch). Remember that there are many styles of forming and maintaining relationships-a shy child is not an unattached child. If you sense a child is having a hard time engaging others, help facilitate this by actively including her or pairing her with another child who has a matching temperament.
- 9. Individual teachers role : A teacher’s relationship with each child is important for raising achievement levels as well as for improving socio-emotional well-being. Teachers need to learn how to deal constructively with children who have insecure attachment to parents. It is a challenge not to act in ways that confirm insecure children’s working models. Insecure children seek positive, warm, trusting relationships, but do not have the skills to create them. This means it is up to the teacher to change children’s views of relationships and meet their socio-emotional needs. Recommendations for how teachers can improve their relationships with students and foster school bonding: 1. Increase sensitivity and warm, positive interactions with students. Teacher sensitivity refers to accurate detection and interpretation of children’s cues, provision of comfort, and responsiveness to distress. One way teachers become more sensitive to children is to increase their knowledge of child development. Teachers who know more about child development are more sensitive in their interactions with children. 2. Be well prepared for class and hold high expectations for students. This is one way that teachers show they care about student achievement, in addition to increasing sensitivity and being responsive. Students feel their teachers cared for them if they helped each student academically, like asking if they needed help, calling on them, making sure they understood content, teaching in a special way, and making class interesting. Non-caring teachers finish their task, teach while students are not paying attention, and do not answer questions or explain things. 3. Be responsive to students’ agendas by providing choice whenever possible. This may help students feel greater rapport with teachers. 4. Use induction rather than coercive discipline. Induction involves explaining the reason for rules and pointing out the consequences of breaking rules. Coercive discipline involves using threats, imposing the teacher’s superior power, and taking advantage of the teacher’s ability to control resources like recess time, grades, or detentions. Coercion interferes with caring relationships. High school students are more likely to feel school bonding if their school does not have harsh discipline policies, like expelling students for relatively minor infractions. Children who are disciplined with induction—particularly victim-centered induction in which the adult points out how the child’s behavior has made someone else feel—are likely to become prosocial and emotionally positive. 5. Help students be kind, helpful, and accepting of one another. Peer culture is a key component of school bonding . Students tend to feel greater school bonding if peers get along with each other. Building a strong sense of community in the school and creating a caring classroom climate where teachers are warm, use inductive discipline, encourage cooperation among students,Teachers can also help children become more prosocial by providing children with opportunities to care for and help each other. 6. Teachers can increase prosocial behavior through modeling, such as complimenting students, respecting students, and avoiding hurting their feelings 7. Teachers can increase prosocial behavior by praising and expressing gratitude for kindnesses, such as “you are a nice person” or “I really appreciate that you took the trouble to do that” 8. The school psychologist or counselors should be able to help teachers repair a difficult relationship with a specific child.
- 10. School-wide policies The six approaches described above can be implemented by individual teachers within the confines of their own classrooms, regardless of the larger school context. However, some school policies and procedures can facilitate, or undermine, teacher–student relationships and school bonding. We make six additional recommendations for improving school-wide policies: 1. Implement school-wide interventions. 2. Provide a variety of extracurricular activities that are accessible to students. High school students feel more connected when there is a high rate of participation in extracurricular activities 3. Keep schools small: students feel more connected to their schools if the school is small In contrast to school size, class size may not affect school bonding. In fact, classrooms that are too small can result in children not having enough opportunity to find a peer buddy. 4. Provide continuity of people and place. Attachment takes time to develop. This requires that teachers and students stay together long enough to form relationships. (a) Keep students together so peer groups are stable. Some secondary schools attempt to do this by having teams of children attend multiple classes together. (b) Keep children with the same teacher or team of teachers for multiple years. 5. Facilitate transitions to new schools or teachers. If children must move from one school to another, they should be helped to make connections with children, families, and teachers as they transition. Two procedures that help are to place new students with the same teacher their older siblings had and to place children with friends. Other procedures might include hosting informal family nights with teachers at the school, hosting school visits in the spring for children who will enter the new school in the fall, and assigning an older student as a “buddy” to show the new student around. 6. Nurture groups and Circle Time in school provide a safe environment and structure for children with attachment disorders to experience success and develop interpersonal skills. Conclusions The first job of schools is to care for children. It is morally and practically wrong to assert that schools should only concentrate on academic goals; children do not learn academically if they are not cared for. All students want to learn, although not necessarily the content they are asked to learn in school. Caring for children prepares them to be receptive to learning such content.