Impact of Adult-Child Relationships on Erikson's Psychoanalytical Theory

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Erik Erikson developed a psychoanalytical theory as a student of Freud, he thought that ‘the way an adult relates and responds to a child can have a direct impact on the way they see themselves.’ (Brenda Baker, Kate Beith, Elisabeth Byers, Maureen Daly, Sharina Forbes, Sue Griffin, Hayley Marshall, 2012, P18) therefore if a child receives positive comments from an adult then it will boost their confidence and they can then move up a stage in Erikson’s theory as he thought children need confidence in order to move up the stages. Erikson's stages of psychosocial development consists of different ages, the stage in which they are going through and what strength is developed, Erikson created 8 different stages, the first stage is for 0-1 year old …show more content…

Bowlby suggests that ‘babies need a strong and stable relationship with their main carers to be emotionally confident in adulthood’ (Baker, et al, 2012, P19). if a child has a secure bond with their main carer then it is thought that the child will develop an emotional attachment with them, this then allows the child to develop at the norm emotionally. If a child does not develop an emotional attachment with their parents then Bowlby believes that they will not be emotionally confident in adulthood. When a child is put into local authority care then it is likely that they have an attachment with their parent even though the child’s needs may not have been met by the parents therefore the transition will be more difficult for the child, it is important for the child’s key worker to understand this and provide support for the child, it is also important for the child to build relationships with other people to build their confidence back up, this can be with their foster carer, however it is important for the child to keep the bond with their parents as the parents still have rights and the child may return back to the family home. The child’s social worker can ensure that the attachment between the parents and child is continued by organising supervised visits between

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