What is attachment?

Attachment has been described as an emotional link between two people which lasts through space and time (Fahlberg 1981). Attachment between a child and their primary caregiver has also been described as:

…one specific and circumscribed aspect of the relationship between child and caregiver that is involved with making the child safe, secure and protected. (Benoit, 2004, p541)

An understanding of attachment relationships with primary carers is central to child welfare assessments. Attachment theory was first coined in the 1950s by John Bowlby and colleagues. They identified the importance of the young child’s relationship with a mother figure for a primary sense of security, suggesting that this first relationship provided a model for later relationships. These ideas formed the basis of what has become known as attachment theory (Bowlby, 1978).

There have been many theoretical developments, exploring the significance of a child’s experience of the responsiveness of their caregiver/s, especially in the early years.

The attachment figure’s attunement to the child’s anxiety and primal need for security and reassurance was recognised as crucial for healthy development in all domains. The adult’s sensitivity gradually helps the child to manage powerful impulses, develop self-regulation and understand emotion. The attachment figure’s ability to accept and hold the child’s powerful emotion and to offer a soothing response helps the child to handle fear and worry and to cope with stress and frustration.

The experience of at least one secure attachment relationship is strongly associated with positive self-esteem and confidence. The child who experiences love and acceptance in attuned, reciprocal exchanges with his/her caregiver learns to accept themselves and develop positive self-esteem.

Beyond a sense of primary emotional security, sensitive caregiving helps the child to attain their full intellectual potential, to think logically and to develop future relationships. In addition to supporting healthy emotional, cognitive and social development, the experience of a secure attachment provides the basis for the development of a conscience.

The experience of being cared for and of being valued helps the child to move from identifying his/her own feelings to becoming aware of the feelings of others. In this way repeated, sensitive and attuned responses from the attachment figure provide a basis for the development of empathy, a significant marker of resilience, not only in childhood but later in adulthood.

Building on the work of Bowlby, Ainsworth and colleagues (1987) identified two key aspects of secure attachment:

• A basic confidence in the caregiver to offer comfort at times of alarm or distress
• Confidence to explore, in the knowledge that the child will be supported and can experience play and learning to the full

It is, therefore, helpful to observe how far there is a balance between ‘security seeking’ behaviours and healthy exploration. Practice frameworks drawn from attachment theory are helpful in assessing interaction within close relationships and understanding the emotional exchange between important adults and the child.

Careful, open-minded assessments explore how children experience the adults who are most important to them. This may or may not include parental figures. Children commonly develop a network of relationships with significant adults. An exclusive emphasis on the relationship with the mother figure may cloud an understanding of the variety of ways a child finds security in other close relationships.

Helpful questions to keep in mind when observing interaction might be:

• How does the child behave when anxious? Do they approach the adult for comfort and support?
• Does the presence of his/her attachment figure reduce the child’s anxiety? To what degree?
• Is the child able to explore their environment in a healthy way?

Kenny Toshack talks about some of his experiences and the importance of observation in child protection and attachment work