3.2 Attachment theory
Attachment theory was initially put forward by John Bowlby, a psychologist at the Tavistock Clinic in London in the 1950s. His work focused mainly on children who had been separated from their parents (particularly mothers) in early childhood due to prolonged hospital stays, as well as children living in children’s homes.
Bowlby’s work was set within the time frame following the Second World War where many children had lost parents or were temporarily separated from them as evacuees due to bomb threats in large cities. What was ground-breaking about Bowlby’s work at the time was that for the first time the emotional health of children was being considered as equally important as their physical health for their overall well-being (Bowlby, 1969).
The most effective way to visualise attachment is as a process. Through the development of close, caring and positive relationships in childhood, a young child can build up an effective internal set of ideas or what has been called an internal working model of how they see themselves, how they interact with others, and also how they develop their own sense of who they are and who they can become within the social world around them.
The following diagram shows the interconnections between self, other and the world in order for the young child to build up an internal working model of how relationships work.
Reflecting on the diagram and the questions that might be asked or addressed through different interactions, you might go back to Jemma’s journey through care and notice how different ways of being attached or connected to significant others, may have affected Jemma’s beliefs about herself, the world around her, as well as her sense of self.
Consistent, warm and loving connections with significant caregivers, who have been attuned to their emotional needs, can support individuals to develop secure and positive attachments with others. By being given positive acceptance for who they are, individuals are more likely to grow up feeling they are worthy of other people’s attentions and can express their emotions more openly. This can then help individuals to be better prepared to make positive contributions to relationships with others in the future. They are also more likely to trust their own emotions and perceptions as well as accept the support of others.
Activity 2: Trauma-informed lens
In this activity, you’ll use your ‘trauma-informed lens’ to understand and recognise how trauma might influence behaviours. While not all behaviours stem from trauma, it’s important to consider trauma’s potential impact before forming conclusions.
When we use our trauma-informed lens and consider the role trauma may be playing in how Jemma may be behaving at school, we start to think and talk about her and her behaviours differently.
Think about Jemma’s experiences of starting a new secondary school.
This was the hardest part of moving homes as she was in classes with children that she didn’t know, and changing teachers meant that her learning was different. Her new classmates knew that she was in care, and this made Jemma feel uncomfortable.
Imagine, for the purpose of this exercise, some of Jemma’s responses at school were labelled ‘manipulative’ or that she appeared disinterested, was seen to fidget and avoid eye contact and conversation.
What if teachers had said that Jemma had understood her learning but wouldn’t engage with other pupils who were trying to engage with her and viewed her as ‘disrespectful’, or that they feel frustrated and say that Jemma is ‘lazy’ because she puts her head down and attempts to sleep during class?
By completing this activity, you have practised reframing behaviours through a trauma-informed lens which fosters empathy and creates environments where individuals feel understood and supported.
The trauma-informed approach encourages compassion, minimises judgement and promotes supportive and trusting relationships.
3.1 Childhood – early life influences