A quick guide to attachment theory

David Shemmings, The Guardian

This article on attachment theory is intended primarily for social workers and others working with children and families. It notes that most casual observations of carer-child interaction are unreliable as indicators of attachment relationships. The author also notes that only about 60-70% of any population is securely attached. Thus, the author notes that while it is ideal for all children to have secure relationships with their parents or carers, this is not likely to happen and, on its own, is not the concern of child protection agencies. Rather, of greater importance to child protection professionals is when the attachment system becomes disorganised, when a child has no strategy to deal with anxiety and no way of receiving comfort or protection. This can occur when the person who should be the child’s safe haven and secure base is simultaneously a source of fear or even terror. The author advocates for a move away from checklist-driven social worker practice toward a relationship-based focus.