This study explored the relationship between child sexual abuse and its impact on foster children's social development as measured by attachment constructs. The study addressed issues relating to direct practice with children who have been sexually abused and are receiving services in the foster care system. The study used a positivist paradigm with a quasi-experimental approach and a qualitative component, and surveyed foster parents' perceptions of their foster child's attachment.

This research project will examine, from the social worker's perspective, parental substance abuse and its effects on attachment.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of attachment, secure or insecure, displayed by foster children after a minimal one-hour separation from their foster parent. The sample consisted of fifty foster parents (22 males and 28 females) who had foster children ranging in ages from 3-12. The foster children have lived in the current foster care placement for at least one month. To measure the foster child's level of attachment to the foster parent, the foster parent completed a demographic survey as well as the Parent/Child Reunion Inventory (Marcus 1988). Analysis was conducted using a variety of univariate (descriptive statistics, frequencies), bivariate (t-test, correlation), and mulivariate (multiple regression) analyses to describe the sample population and significant correlations among the various independent and dependent variables. As expected, foster parents reported secure attachment behaviors for foster children the longer the child has lived in their home. Two factors that appear to influence attachment are the length of time in the foster parents in the home. This information is valuable to the foster care arena for calculating secure attachment between foster children and their caregivers.

Previous research has shown that adult attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance are associated with both coping strategy use and the parent-child relationship. Additionally, research has shown that coping strategy is associated with aspects of the parent-child relationship. The current study aimed to further examine associations between parental romantic attachment, coping strategy use, and the parent-child relationship. It was hypothesized that coping strategy use would mediate the relationship between parental romantic attachment and aspects of the parent-child relationship. Participants included 86 heterosexual couples (N = 176 parents) from the Family and Kid Connection project archival dataset. Instruments included a demographic questionnaire, the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, a brief measure of coping, and the Attachment and Relational Frustration Subscales of the Parenting Relationship Questionnaire. An actor-partner independence model was proposed and tested via multilevel modeling. Higher levels of parental attachment anxiety predicted poorer parent-child relationships. Father's attachment avoidance also predicted poorer father-child relationships. Higher levels of both parental attachment dimensions predicted greater use of avoidant emotional coping. Finally, greater use of avoidant emotional coping predicted poorer parent-child relationships. Results partially supported proposed mediational hypotheses. Two mediational paths were supported by results: an actor-actor path in which fathers' avoidant emotional coping mediated the association between fathers' romantic attachment avoidance and father-child attachment, and an actor-actor path in which mothers' avoidant emotional coping mediated the association between mothers' romantic attachment anxiety and mother-child attachment.

Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The currents study investigated the relationship between attachment and behavioural problems in children in residential group homes (alternative care) in Polokwane, Limpopo. The sample consisted of children (n = 52) and their caregivers (n= 7) from the Samaritan Children’s Home. Both males (n = 30) and females (n = 22) were represented. All caregivers were female. A quantitative, cross-sectional design and simple random sampling were employed. Data was collected using the Relationship in Close Relationships Questionnaire (ECR-RC) and the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). Methods of analysing were correlational (Pearson’s r) to establish relationships and t-test and ANOVA to establish between- and within-group differences. Results revealed that there was a statistically significant positive correlation between poor attachment and behavioural problems. Male children were found to exhibit more internalising behaviour than externalising behaviour when compared to females on the CBCL. Older children, both male and female (aged 12-14 years) were found to exhibit more behavioural problems than their younger counterparts aged 9-11.

This study addresses young children's involvement with comfort objects, including why children have them, how they are used, when attachments to such objects are cause for concern and how teachers and parents can respond to promote the young child's development. The child's becoming and development is examined in this study. The researcher also reviews major transitional object theories in terms of origin, development and psychological meaning. This study aims to explore this phenomenon from a psychological - educational perspective and to formulate a set of guidelines for parents and professionals whose children use comfort behaviour. Information was collated from case studies, a questionnaire and a detailed study of literature. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

Jealousy is understood as a system of physiological, behavioral, and emotional responses, yet few studies have examined these aspects of jealousy simultaneously in infants. Further, jealousy paradigms have not been examined as a potential stressor in infancy and thus typical cortisol reactivity and regulation patterns in response to jealousy paradigms have not been observed. In addition, the contribution of attachment security to infant expressions of jealousy has been vastly understudied. The present study seeks to fill the current gaps in the infant jealousy literature by investigating quantitative and qualitative changes in infant jealousy across the first two years of life. Data was collected longitudinally and mother- infant dyads were asked to participate when infants were 12- months and 24-months of age. Associations between behavioral jealousy responses, baseline EEG activity, stress reactivity and attachment security were examined. Differences in approach behaviors and behavioral arousal were found across conditions and were consistent with previous studies (Hart & Carrington, 2002; Mize & Jones, 2012). Findings relating to EEG activity pointed to a relationship between left EEG asymmetry and global approach behaviors across time. Cortisol reactivity was found to be associated with attachment security but reactive cortisol concentrations compared to baseline cortisol concentrations do not indicate that the paradigm was an effective stressor. Attachment security was found to be associated with proximity behaviors in 12- month olds but not 24-month olds. Finally, a linear regression revealed that attachment security, EEG asymmetry, and cortisol reactivity at 12-months are significant predictors of behavioral jealousy responses at 24-months. Changes in behavioral and physiological measures across time indicate that jealousy continues to develop during the second year of life but may have different underlying processes than the processes that contribute to jealousy expression in 12-month-olds. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-10-31T11:33:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Isabela Garcia Rosa Hispagnol.pdf: 844136 bytes, checksum: 26976ae19f0875a7298a15ef40b8bb85 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-31T11:33:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Isabela Garcia Rosa Hispagnol.pdf: 844136 bytes, checksum: 26976ae19f0875a7298a15ef40b8bb85 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-10-16 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / The relationship of care in early childhood is considered one of the most important aspect on the child’s physical and emotional development. The conditions under which this relationship occurs profoundly influence the child's construction of himself and the way he relates to the world around him. Adverse events such as violence, accidents, disasters, when perceived as a threat to life or physical integrity, impact not only the child who has experienced such a situation but also those who take care of her. This paper aims to understand the impact of a potentially traumatic situation on the care relationship, through the experience of the primary caregiver of a child up to twelve years of age who has experienced unintentional injury. The epistemology used was the Theory of Attachment developed by John Bowlby. It is a multiple case study with semi-structured interview to address the caregiver's experience. Three mothers of children between two and ten years of age participated in this qualitative study. From the result of the interviews the following categories of meanings were constructed: construction of the behavior of caring, which contemplated the internalized mother, the idealized mother and the possible mother; reactions and feelings at the moment and soon after the incident with the child; post-traumatic reactions; need to provide protection; balance between the various systems; the child's reactions to the event; new homeostasis among then. The changes regarding the caregiver system were related to certain factors such as: the previous emotional structure of the mother; the characteristics of the event; the perception of danger; and self-perception as a mother. The possible consequences for children's emotional development were also discussed. It was pointed out the necessity of new researches that approach this subject / A relação de cuidados na primeira infância é tida como primordial para o desenvolvimento físico e emocional do ser humano. As condições sob as quais esta relação ocorre influenciam profundamente a construção da criança acerca de si mesmo e o modo como se relaciona com o mundo a sua volta. Eventos adversos como violência, acidentes, desastres, quando percebidos como uma ameaça à vida ou à integridade física, impactam não só a criança que passou por tal situação como também a quem dela cuida. Este trabalho tem como objetivo compreender o impacto de uma situação potencialmente traumática na relação de cuidados, pela experiência do cuidador principal de uma criança de até doze anos que tenha passado por uma situação de ferimentos não intencionais. A epistemologia utilizada foi a Teoria do Apego desenvolvida por John Bowlby. Trata-se de um estudo de casos múltiplos instrumentos, com entrevista semidirigida para abordar a experiência do cuidador. Três mães de crianças entre dois e dez anos participaram deste estudo qualitativo. A partir do resultado das entrevistas foram construídas as seguintes categorias de significados: construção do comportamento de cuidar, que contemplou a mãe internalizada, a mãe idealizada e a mãe possível; as reações e os sentimentos no momento e logo apos o incidente com a criança; as reações póstraumáticas; a necessidade de dar proteção; o equilíbrio entre os diversos sistemas; as reações da criança ao evento; nova homeostase da dupla. As mudanças com relação ao sistema cuidador estavam relacionadas a determinados fatores como: a estrutura emocional prévia da mãe; as características do evento; a percepção de perigo; e a autopercepção como mãe. Foram discutidas as possíveis consequências para o desenvolvimento emocional das crianças, bem como foi apontada a necessidade de novas pesquisas que abordem este tema

Thesis (M.A.)--East Carolina University, 2009. / Presented to the faculty of the Department of Psychology. Advisor: Jeannie Golden. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed May 3, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.