Identify And Explain The Factors Affecting Secure Attachment In Children

Throughout this assignment the factors that can positively or negatively affect secure attachment in infants will be discussed. Early influences of secure attachment will be considered and how this can affect the social skills, emotional responses and personality of a child. A further discussion will take place to address the different patterns of attachment, those being secure and insecure, the characteristics of each attachment, and how the timing of these attachments can determine the development of a child.
Bowlby described attachment as the emotional bond between an infant and the primary care giver from birth to two years, also known as the critical stage. He believed that the attachment established at this time would influence the development
throughout life. Attachment is a reciprocal bond which influence the physical, cognitive and social development throughout life. Bowlby (1958) believed that attachment was determined by the care and responsiveness that the infant received and was just as important as the supply of food. Once an attachment has been formed, the infant would show signs of this by confidently exploring and returning to its attachment figure.
Secure attachment is created when the primary care giver of the child recognises and fulfils the needs of the child along with interaction, showing interest and pleasure.
Secure attachment can be positively reinforced when the primary caregiver actively responds to the infant’s behaviour. A study by Grossman and Grossman (1991) found that children who had securely attached relationships with their mother figure were able to form and enjoy close friendships throughout life. They found those who were brought up in insecure relationships were avoidant and had little or no friends later in life. Children who experience a secure attachment during childhood are more independent and enjoy exploring their surroundings, consequently developing a greater self-esteem Scroufe, et al. The attachment that a child experiences during childhood has been said to affect their social life. For example, children who are brought up in secure environments will be more likely to develop friendships and feel less lonely than insecure children Kerns, Klepac & Cole (1996). Theorist Hoffman (1997) found that children who have experienced secure attachment will develop the ability to be more academic than those from insecure backgrounds. Therefore, it is apparent that secure attachment positively influences the physical, psychological and behavioural development of a child, while continuing to reflect in adulthood and the next
generation.
Insecure attachment on the other hand has been found to bear a negative effect on the development of a child. In circumstances where the caregiver fails to meet the infant’s needs can lead the infant to become insecure therefore compromising the development of the child. The caregiver may be inconsistent with care for the child, attending only to their physical needs, forgetting about interaction and consistency. Insecure attachment can cause the child to become socially isolated and failure to develop cognitively, unaware and unable to understand emotions of others around them.