A01: The effects of institutionalisation
Reactive attachment disorder
Children who fail to recover from early disruption can suffer with reactive attachment disorder.
Symptoms:
Symptoms:
- Unable to give and receive attention
- Cruelty to other especially pets
- Difficult to hold eye contact
- Difficulties with speech patterns
- Lying and stealing
- lack of long term friends
- Extreme control problems
Maternal Rejection
This starts from birth and is when the mother rejects the child; usually these are unwanted children or babies who have difficult child birth.
The guilt and lack of empathy a mother feels develops over time and turns into anger.
When the child misbehaves or is naughty, it can lead to punishment and abuse.
The guilt and lack of empathy a mother feels develops over time and turns into anger.
When the child misbehaves or is naughty, it can lead to punishment and abuse.
Difficulty making future attachments
One effect of institutionalisation is that some children may have difficulty making future attachments.
Children who experience institutionalisaiton will often have no continuous maternal caregiver and therefore a negative internal working model.
This means that they will be unable to make successful relationships in the future.
Children who experience institutionalisaiton will often have no continuous maternal caregiver and therefore a negative internal working model.
This means that they will be unable to make successful relationships in the future.
Can children recover from the effects of institutionalisation?
The quality of care
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The age of the child when removed from privation/institutionChildren who are removed from instittutionalisation or privation at a young age make better progress both cognitively and emotionally than infants who experience privation for longer. (Rutter, Romanian Orphans)
Age also affects language development: children over 11 and 12 years are much less likely to develop language skills. |
The follow on experiences
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Quality of care after privation/institutionalisationChildren are more likely to recover from the effects of institutionalisation and privation if they are in a loving and supportive environment where they are able to form a 1:1 attachment with an adult.
This is demonstrated in Koluchova and Hodges and Tizard research. |