We have discussed the issue of attachment in children as a measure of their ability to have resilience to traumatic events. However, some children are unable to form basic relationships. In the past few years, we have discovered much about attachment in children and its impact in later life, including a specific disorder known as Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD).
Attachment and Trauma in Children
In my last post, I opened the subject of attachment in children and its importance in creating resilience for children toward recovery from a traumatic events. In short, a child that has had a healthy parent (or caregiver) attachment process in infancy will have an easier recovery from trauma. Let’s look at this process more closely.
Healthy Early Childhood Attachment Can Create Resilience to Trauma
We have been discussing how trauma and adverse childhood experiences affect a child’s lifetime emotional, physical and relational health. A child is most vulnerable during early childhood development, when dependent on the care given by adults. If the early childhood development process has been a healthy one, the child is more likely to possess the resilience to handle trauma than if […]