Attachment Theory. Madeline Fuller. April 22, 2017....

Attachment Theory Madeline Fuller April 22, 2017 †¢ Introduction My initial interest in this theory stems from my meeting of a diverse group of people this last year. As my family’s business ventures into the world of construction, I have had the opportunity to meet many people who come from much different backgrounds than me. Many of these people have known criminal records and/or are registered sex offenders for one reason or another. The more I come to know them, the more I get to hear about their childhoods. As a majority, they have come from less than healthy homes, they don’t have much of an education, and they have been involved with drugs at one point in their lives. One in particular was in and out of the foster care system and a†¦show more content†¦Bowlby argues that the need for physical nurture in infancy and adolescence is a primary need, not a secondary one. We can see this played out in nature as well – even animals inherently seek out their mothers as babies. When a child’s needs for attachment are neglected, physical symptoms can be seen. For example, infants living in orphanages post WWII were provided with adequate food, water, and shelter for survival. However, due to the lack of nurture (swaddling, being held, talked to, etc.) infants became weak, prone to sickness, and some even came to the brink of death. Therefore, we can see that this physical nurturing attachment is crucial to the health and development of an infant. In slightly older children, when abandonment occurs, they protest with crying, go into a stage of mourning, and then detachment can be seen in the social setting. They are unwilling to establish relationships with others, including their own parents should they reenter the picture. Lack of attachment to a caregiver also affects cognitive development. Attachment to a caregiver is crucial in the development of problem solving skills and the development of a conscience. Without the ability to process and solve problems, and a lack of moral compass, ità ¢â‚¬â„¢s obvious that criminal behavior would start to manifest (Fitton, 2012). As these children grow into adults, a tendency towards crime can be seen. Those with the most severe detachment issues tend towards violent crime more often than