There was a rising issue in the early twentieth century pertaining to the affection a parent showed to a child. Popular psychologists in the era believed that showing loving feeling to a child was dangerous and detrimental to their health. They believed it served no real purpose. John B. Watson, a famous behaviorist at the time, even told parents, (Watson, 1930)"When you are tempted to pet your child, remember that mother love is a dangerous instrument." This theory was very controversial at the time and was believed to be a major issue. Not only did people believe that the contact that affection permitted spread diseases, but people also believed that it led to severe psychological problems (Cherry, 2014).
Harry Harlow, an American psychologist,
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When a mother drinks or smokes during her pregnancy, she is exposing her unborn child to toxins and harmful chemicals. Drinking while pregnant can cause the brain of the fetus to not develop correctly. Certain drugs, taken while pregnant, will cause the frontal cortex of the developing brain to be altered, therefore altering the way that they think and may lead to some form of intellectual disability. This can lead to the child being born prematurely or to be born with complications at birth such as, heart defects, breathing problems, or failing organs. The neglecting of the child can also lead them to self-injury such as getting burned on the stove. If the child has any sort of illness and the parents don’t know about it or know but do nothing, there can be severe consequences not only to the child, but to the parents as well. A term associated with child neglect is failure to thrive which is (DePanfilis, 2006) "children whose growth deviates significantly from the norms for their age and gender." This generally occurs in the ages two and under, if a child “fails to thrive”, they will develop poor muscle tone, decreased vocalizations, and a general unresponsiveness (DePanfilis, …show more content…
Children are in need of affection coming from their parents in order to thrive and develop mentally, physically, and socially. It is a part of human nature to crave that connection to a person that is close to our hearts. It is shown that people who keep to themselves and do not seek a connection will be more susceptible to depression. No other theory can counter that of Harlow’s. His concrete evidence of the affection of a child to its mother is irrefutable. Although it may not consider some aspects of the relationship between a child and a mother, his theory has brought to light that people need to be active in their children’s lives and not treat them like they are not important. In our society, it is a trend that people will have a child and then have nothing to do with the child after it is born. Not only does this cause psychological issues and impair the child’s sense of bonding, it teaches the child, by experiencing it firsthand that they do not need to care for their children. Then they carry it on and treat their children the same way that they were treated as a child. Loving your child is a personal choice. No one can tell you how to treat your child, so it is ultimately your decision how they turn out. A neglectful attitude can effect the society as a whole. If there are more and more parents who do not care for their children, that means that the rate of malnourished and maltreated children will escalate rapidly.
The United States defines child maltreatment as “any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious injury or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm” (McCoy & Keen, 2009, p. 63). This legal definition is better understood by the idea that a caregiver repeatedly fails to provide the most basic care necessary for a child. Although abandonment is often the first thing that comes to mind when one hears the word “neglect...
A lack of affection towards the children in the nursery you are caring for can have a negative effect on their development. They may begin to feel unloved, unvalued and lack self-confidence. Lack of affection from caregivers in early childhood can influence a child's physical growth as well as his emotional development.
Fox (1995) poses that it is possible that early childhood attachment does not influence adults’ minds relative to attachment. He also is hesitant to agree that parental sensitivity is a valuable aspect that is potentially “transmitted” to offspring.
Child neglect and abuse is an unfortunate reality for many children today. It can have significant developmental impacts on children until they are an adult. Unfortunately it is not noticed until the damage is already done. Parents are the ones that are supposed to take care of their child. The consequences of a child getting mistreated young may endure long after the neglect occurs. People having children and not ready to be parents. Scaring the child for life because they decided that is was fun to beat on their child and abuse them mentally, and some even sexually. The effects can appear in all aspects of life, rather it is psychological or behavioral. There are three main effects of neglect and abuse that can range from minor physical injuries, not getting along with others, or can become aggressive and affect them later on in life.
Criticisms of attachment theory have come mainly from the feminist schools of thought since the theory has been used to argue that no woman with a young child should work outside the home or spend time away from her baby (Goodsell and Meldrum, 2010). Children’s experience and development also depend on what happens after early years, whether bad or good later in life may change a child’s emotional development, e.g. lack of basic needs, diet, education, stimulation such as play might affect a child’s development (Rutter, 1981). Differences in cultures have to be taken into consideration as well. A study by Schaffer and Emmerson (1964) provided contradictory evidence for Bowlby’s attachment theory. They noted attachment was more prominent at eight months, and afterwards children became attached to more than one person.
John Bowlby’s attachment theory established that an infant’s earliest relationship with their primary caregiver or mother shaped their later development and characterized their human life, “from the cradle to the grave” (Bowlby, 1979, p. 129). The attachment style that an infant develops with their parent later reflects on their self-esteem, well-being and the romantic relationships that they form. Bowlby’s attachment theory had extensive research done by Mary Ainsworth, who studied the mother-infant interactions specifically regarding the theme of an infant’s exploration of their surrounding and the separation from their mother in an experiment called the strange situation. Ainsworth defined the four attachment styles: secure, insecure/resistant, insecure/avoidant and disorganized/disoriented, later leading to research studies done to observe this behavior and how it affects a child in their adolescence and adulthood.
The attachment theory, presented by Mary Ainsworth in 1969 and emerged by John Bowlby suggests that the human infant has a need for a relationship with an adult caregiver, and without a subsequent, development can be negatively impacted (Hammonds 2012). Ainsworth proposes that the type of relationship and “attachment” an infant has with the caregiver, can impact the social development of the infant. As stated by Hammonds (2012), attachment between a mother and a child can have a great impact on the child 's future mental
A mother who drinks while she is pregnant stands a high risk of harming their unborn child because the alcohol passes through her blood to her baby, and that can harm the development of the baby’s cells. This is most likely to harm the baby’s brain and spinal cord. Many of the common effects of a child suffering from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is: distinctive facial features, growth problems making them smaller than the average child, and learning and behavior problems.
When neglect happens to children it can be life altering. Each case of neglect is different depending on the person. For the Walls’ children neglect happened every day. Online at dictionary.com, neglect means to pay no attention or too little; disregard or slight. In her memoir The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls’ and her siblings were neglected by Rosemary and Rex Walls emotionally, medically and physically. No matter what kind of abuse one may be experiencing they all have lasting effects and have affected people of many different backgrounds.
John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth studied imprinting and developed the attachment theory. He rejected ...
Neglect affects a child’s “cognitive, and language development in addition it can lead to academic delays, problems with their peers, it can lead to mental health problems and aggression or other behavioral problems,” (futureiofchildren.org). A child in an unhealthy family system may experience a lack in nutrient, a lack of supervision which can lead to emotional, behavioral, and social delays. This is also known as “failure to thrive,” (futureofchildren.org). When a family system fails, children have trouble attaching to the caregiver this can cause emotional distress, insecurities and trust issues. (futureofchildren.org) Poor family systems, and children’s inability to development in all areas of growth is linked by poor
No matter what, people form thousands of relationships to get through the ups and downs in life. To be frank, life would be pretty dull and empty without relationships. One of the most important relationships is the one that people form with their parents (Perry). Early family relationships are the foundation for adult relationships and a child’s personality (Perry; Greenberg). Alicia Lieberman, a psychology professor, said “The foundation for how a child feels about himself and the world is how he feels in his relationship with the primary caregiver” (Greenberg). According to Erik Erikson and the attachment theory, the bond between a caregiver and child has a huge impact on a child’s development because of social and emotional effects.
Child neglect is the most common form of maltreatment towards children, which may lead to various short- and long-term physical, psychological and social consequences. It is known to coincide with other forms of abuse and difficulties. Infants and toddlers are often the main victims of neglect.
Attachment is crucial to the survival and development of the infant. Kenneth and Klaus points out that the parents bond to their child may be the strongest of all human ties. This relationship has two unique characteristics. First, before birth one individual infant gestates within a part of the mothers body and second, after birth she ensures his survival while he is utterly dependent on her and until he becomes a separate individual. According to Mercer, the power of this attachment is so great that it enables the mother and father to make the unusual sacrifices necessary for the care of their infant. Day after day, night after night; changing diapers, attending to cries, protecting the child from danger, and giving feed in the middle of the night despite their desperate need to sleep (Mercer 22). It is important to note that this original parent-infant tie is the major source for all of the infant’s subsequent attachment and is the formative relationship in the course of which the child develops a sense of himself. Throughout his lifetime the strength and character of this attachment will influence the quality of all future ties to other individuals. The question is asked, "What is the normal process by which a father and mother become attached to a healthy infant?"...
Selvon, Mike. "Child Abuse and Neglect Results in Devastating Effects." EzineArticles Submission - Submit Your Best Quality Original Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints. Web. 22 Jan. 2011. .