When we talk about children with severe attachment issues, we typically refer to early childhood maltreatment or neglect as key causes. But there are also other circumstances that contribute to a child’s inability to bond and connect.
Three major factors place children at risk for developing serious attachment problems: the parent or caregiver, something going on with the child, and environmental factors.
The parent/caregiver factor involves the way in which babies and young children are treated by their parents or caregivers. Abusive, inconsistent, and insensitive care is associated with disrupted attachment.
The second factor involves the contributions of the child—what the child brings to the family. For instance, children with fetal alcohol syndrome/effects (FAS/E), failure to thrive, or difficult-to-soothe temperaments are particularly challenging for parents and caregivers.
The third factor involves the impact of living in a high-stress, chaotic and unsupportive environment. Violence, poverty, multiple moves in the foster care system, and crowded orphanages are examples of environmental contributions.
The following lists outline the situations and experiences that typically lead to childhood attachment difficulties.
Parent and caregiver factors
- Abuse or neglect
- The parent has severe psychological problems: depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality and other mental illnesses
- Alcohol and drug addiction
- Adolescent parenting
- Prolonged absence: prison, hospitalization, abandonment
- Family history of maltreatment and compromised attachment
Child factors
- Failure to thrive
- FAS/E and in-utero drug exposure
- Difficult temperament: inconsolable, moody, colicky
- Poor “fit” between child and parent (for example, outgoing, energetic child and introverted, quiet parents)
- Medical conditions: premature birth, chronic pain (for example, untreated inner ear infections), hospitalizations
- Genetics: family history of mental illness, criminality, and substance abuse
Environmental factors
- High stress environment: violent home or neighborhood, chaotic and disorganized family, severe marital conflict
- Out-of-home placements: multiple moves and caregivers (for example, the foster care system or placement in foreign orphanages)
- Lack of support: absent parent or extended family, isolation, lack of medical, mental health or other care services
Poverty
