Attachment Theory: Its Impact on Childhood Trauma and Behavior

Attachment theory as defined by Harris and White (2013) examines the connection between infants and young children to their caregivers. Studying attachment is important in understanding behavior because it develops at such a young age and has an influence on all future relationships including dysfunctional family connections, challenges to adolescent peer relationships (Iwaniec & Sneddon, 2001; Reyome, 2010; ). As identified by Ainsworth (1982), there are three categories of attachment which include secure, avoidant, and anxious/ambivalent. In 1990, Main and Solomon concluded that a fourth category should be noted which they identified as being disorganized/disoriented. These different styles of attachment are theorized to have long-term
When a child has a secure attachment to a caregiver in their early years, they use this relationship as a model and they begin to build expectations based on this relationship. However, some theorists have questioned whether this is testable and whether children younger than 1 year even have the cognitive ability to form such notions about the outside world (Hinde, 1988). A secure attachment is seen when the child feels that the caregivers are there for it consistently with support and an emotional investment in the child’s well-being. An insecure attachment, either anxious or avoidant, develops when the child does not feel that sense of security and consistency from the caregiver. A disorganized attachment is usually seen in the case of a neglectful or abusive caregiver that the child is afraid of (Bloome, 2010). In our study we propose to examine the connections between attachment and childhood trauma as both connect to behavior and relationships in older children and
The most common tool to diagnose an attachment disorder is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) but other assessment tools include The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), The Reactive Attachment Disorder Scale (RADS), The Attachment Disorder Symptoms Checklist (ADSCL), The Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS), and The Randolph Attachment Disorder Questionnaire (RADQ) (Abel, 2009). Abel (2009) examines “the relationship between childhood traumatic events and the presence of behaviors related to the attachment disorder diagnosis as defined by the Randolph Attachment Disorder Questionnaire (RADQ) assessment tool (see comments from Cappelletty, 2005, below about the assessment tool and its effectiveness). Abel (2009) utilizes the ARC model (Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency) which relies heavily on theories and empirical knowledge about the effect of trauma on the child (p. 36). This intervention takes into account the effects of trauma on multiple domains including attachment, self-regulation, and the development of competencies. The ARC model insists that treatment of children affected by trauma needs to focus on six main goals: safety, self-regulation, self-reflection, information processing, traumatic experience integration, relational engagement or attachment, and positive affect enhancement (p. 36). This model works in phases and emphasizes building different skills, making the child