Annotated Bibliography
American Foster Care Resources (2005). Family foster care resource update. Available
online at http://www.afcr.com/catalogs/InSrv.pdf
American Foster Care Resources, Inc. publishes this list of books, training
manuals, and other media on a variety of topics relevant to foster care. The
resource list includes descriptions of the target audience, curriculum goals, skills
training objectives, and recommended implementation of each resource, as well as
ordering information. Many of these resources can also be obtained through
libraries or on-line.
Keywords: Training resources.
Bretherton, I. (1992). The origins of attachment theory. Developmental Psychology, 28,
759-775.
This is a theoretical piece on the history of attachment theory, developed through
a collaboration with some of the leading contributors to the field of attachment
theory. It is a fairly dense work and is suitable for people with a basic knowledge
of attachment and an interest in the development, historical milestones, landmark
research contributions, and key concepts in attachment theory.
Keywords: Attachment theory
Carlson, E. A., Sampson, B. A., & Sroufe, L. A. (2003). Implications of attachment
theory and research for developmental-behavioral pediatrics. Journal of
Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 24(5), 364-379.
This article critically reviews contemporary research on attachment and presents a
comprehensive, well-organized, and readable summary of key concepts in
attachment. Its authors are renowned attachment researchers. The article discusses
theory on the nature of the attachment relationship, its origins in human
evolutionary history, and common misconceptions about attachment. Research on
the phases of development of attachment relationships and factors that influence
attachment variations is reviewed. Implications of variations in early attachment
relationships for later development, and the effects of different caregiving
environments, including foster care and adoptive homes, are addressed. The
authors conclude with many recommendations for further research and ways in
which attachment theory can be used in childcare practice.
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
Keywords: Review article, attachment theory, research, phases, attachment
relationships, child development, infant-caregiver interaction, pediatrics.
Chapman, M. V., Wall, A., & Barth, R. P. (2004). Children’s voices: The perceptions of
children in foster care. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 74(3), 293-304.
The authors are experienced researchers and social work professionals. They
present the findings of a major study of children’s views of placement. Frequency
of family visits and children’s feelings following those visits are investigated by
placement type (traditional foster home, kinship care, or group care). Results
indicate that children in foster care in the United States generally feel positively
toward their out-of-home care providers, while at the same time maintain hope of
reunification with their biological family. In light of the loyalty conflict
experienced by most children in care, the authors recommend that child welfare
practice and policy reflect the importance of building strong relationships with
current caregivers while promoting continued relationships with biological
parents. The authors also provide references for a number of books and articles
that focus on the personal experiences of children and youth in care.
Keywords: Out-of-home care, visitation, children’s views of placement.
Cournos, F. (2002). The trauma of profound childhood loss: A personal and professional
perspective. Psychiatric Quarterly, 73(2), 145-156.
The author of this article is an accomplished child and adolescent psychiatrist and
a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University. She describes her own
experiences with the loss of her parents and her placement in foster care. Dr.
Cournos refers to research on trauma and loss to underscore the devastating
impact of traumatic losses. The article outlines ten pointers for helping children
grieve their losses and heal from the trauma.
Keywords: Childhood trauma, childhood loss, childhood bereavement,
foster care.
Eagle, R. S. (1994). The separation experience of children in long-term care: Theory,
research, and implications for practice. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,
64(3), 421-434.
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
This article is often cited in the foster care literature as a primary source of
information on foster children’s reactions to separation. It reviews theory and
research on separation and advocates for the conceptualization of the out-of-home
placement experience of youth in care as a grief or mourning reaction. The article
supports the existence of seven theoretical conditions that facilitate a child’s
mourning process, using research findings from the fields of cognitive,
behavioral, developmental, and other sects of the psychological community to
support its conclusions.
Keywords: Out-of-home care as mourning, conditions that facilitate
mourning in children, barriers to mourning in child welfare.
Egeland, B. & Sroufe, A. (1981). Attachment and maltreatment. Child Development, 52,
44-52.
This article presents the findings of a research study on the interaction of
parenting, infant attachment, and stability of attachment style. Findings support
the importance of caregivers’ access to support and stability in the formation of
the child’s attachment style. The results also suggest that attachment styles tend to
be stable when parenting conditions remain the same, but that attachment
relationships can change for the better under stabilizing influences in the lives of
mother and infant. The researchers demonstrate that some infants who are
maltreated by their primary caregivers early-on can overcome adversity and form
secure attachments when the caregiver obtains outside support or otherwise
becomes more stable and content.
Keywords: Attachment stability, maltreated children, adequate or
inadequate care.
Feeney, J. A. (2000). Implications of attachment style for patterns of health and illness.
Child: Care, Health & Development. 26(4), 277-288.
This article briefly reviews the research evidence linking attachment style with
health and illness behaviors. It addresses the link between insecure attachment
and various health problems, addressing relationship variables (need for control,
emotional avoidance, etc.); medical help-seeking behaviors; lifestyle variables
(physical activity level); and some specific health concerns, such as cancer and
asthma. The article supports the position that three specific mechanisms related to
attachment insecurity are responsible for the poor health outcomes of people with
these attachment styles.
Keywords: Attachment style, illness behaviors, affect regulation.
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
Fish, B. & Chapman, B (2004). Mental health risks to infants and toddlers in foster care.
Clinical Social Work Journal, 32(2), 121-140.
This paper convincingly presents the mental health risks to children birth to three
years in the foster care system. It reviews solid research in attachment and foster
care and uses numerous vignettes from the writers’ experiences with foster care to
illustrate and clarify the relational and contextual threats to foster children in this
age group. The paper concludes by presenting and discussing the case of two
young brothers in foster care to show how the context of foster care can
exacerbate problems that developed as a result of poor relationships with
birthparents and previous foster parents. The paper is easy to read and grounded
in research, and would be helpful for case workers, foster parents, and any other
interested caregiver.
Keywords: Infant, toddler, foster care, mental health, attachment
Gray, D. (2002). Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today’s Parents.
Indianapolis, IN: Perspectives Press.
This book is written to be a “how to” manual for parenting children at risk for
attachment problems. The author is a clinical social worker who specializes in
working with children who have challenges in attachment because of neglect,
grief, abuse, and prenatal exposure to substances. This readable, informative book
is laid out so that chapters address specific topics, making quick reference easy.
The book explains attachment in detail, discusses the stages of attachment, and
provides examples of activities that promote attachment. It is written from a
reassuringly professional point of view and is full of vignettes that foster parents
may find easy to relate to. The author clearly lays out the stages of attachment, as
a developmental process, and includes an abundance of practical techniques for
achieving success at each stage.
Keywords: Adoption, attachment behavior in children, attachment
disorder in children, adopted children, family relationships.
Greenberg, M. T. (1999). Attachment and psychopathology in childhood. In J. Cassidy &
P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical
applications (pp. 469–496). New York: Guilford Press.
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
This is a comprehensive review of the literature on attachment and
psychopathology in childhood, presented in one of the leading professional
resources for information on attachment. It reviews research on the internalizing
(anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, etc.) and externalizing (aggression,
defiance, violence, etc.) behaviors associated with maltreatment during the early
years of development. The review includes a section on the effects of institutional
rearing and late adoption. This article is fairly dense but is a good resource for
those interested in understanding the behavioral consequences of abusive home
environments.
Keywords: Attachment, psychopathology, children, maltreatment,
protective factors.
Hallas, D. (2002). A model for successful foster child-foster parent relationships. Journal
of Pediatric Health Care, 18(3), 112-118.
This article describes the traits of foster families and foster children who have
obtained healthy, rewarding relationships. The researcher conducted a scientific
study of “exemplary” foster parents and “exemplary” adults who were raised as
foster children to extract the individual and family traits that contribute to the
development of positive foster parent-foster child relationships and continuing
success of foster care alumnae. The authors cite other research and use direct
quotes from foster children and foster parents to elaborate on the themes of
caring, patience, resilience, a sense of “home-coming,” and others that emerged
from the study results.
Keywords: Exemplary foster children, exemplary foster parents, foster
child-foster parent relationship, resilience, connectedness, bonding and
attachment.
Hopkins, J. (2000). Overcoming a child’s resistance to late adoption: How one new
attachment can facilitate another. Journal of Child Psychotherapy, 26(3), 335347.
The author, a professional child psychologist, describes the therapy progress of a
9-year-old boy with a disorganized attachment pattern, due to repeated abuse and
neglect by his biological parents prior to the age of 2 years, and subsequent
trauma of repeated separations from foster caretakers until the age of four. The
child’s difficulty forming new relationships with his caring and concerned
adoptive parents over the next several years, his lack of emotion, disruptive
behavior, and persistent loyalty to his abusive biological parents, are described
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
from a psychological theory of interpersonal processes. The paper presents
enough theoretical background, along with illustrative anecdotes from the therapy
sessions, to help lay persons understand the development of attachment problems
and the resultant internal and external processes that affect the child’s
development and capacity to form relationships.
Keywords: Adoption, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),
attachment, disorganized attachment, loyalty conflict.
Jones, E. E. (1996). Introduction to the special section on attachment and
psychopathology. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 5-7.
This article briefly reviews the research and theoretical articles contained in a
special edition of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The article
highlights the significance of attachment in human development from infancy
through adulthood and directs readers to articles on topics ranging from the
stability and distribution of attachment styles to attachment as a predictor of
psychopathology.
Kewords: Attachment, psychopathology, human development
Kagan, R. (2004). Rebuilding attachments with traumatized children: Healing from
losses, violence, abuse, and neglect. New York: Haworth Press.
The author, Richard Kagan, is respected for his work with traumatized children
and his conviction that severely abused and neglected children can be helped to
overcome the impact of earlier trauma. This book is a therapeutic guide intended
primarily for use by therapists, but is written in thoroughly understandable
language and includes many real-life stories and practical information that would
be useful for anyone interested in learning current approaches to helping troubled
children. The book presents information on how to understand and overcome the
impact of loss, neglect, separation, and violence on children’s development. It
includes specific interventions, including creative arts projects and personal storytelling, that can be used to help children and their caregivers surmount problems
of the past and rebuild a story of hope, strength, courage, and belonging.
Keywords: Attachment, trauma, resiliency, parenting traumatized children,
lifebook.
Kenrick, J. (2000). Be a kid: the traumatic impact of repeated separations on children
who are fostered and adopted. Journal of Child Psychotherapy 26(3), 393-412.
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
The author, a professional child psychologist, presents the therapy progress of two
children in transitional care. She contrasts the resilience of a child who has
experienced one, severe, traumatic experience with his biological parents,
followed by a stable relationship with nurturing foster parents; with the difficult
3-and-a-half-year therapy journey and poorer outcome of a child who has
experience repeated separations from multiple substitute caretakers. Findings are
presented within a fairly technical psychoanalytic framework, although the
vibrant descriptions of the children’s behaviors in therapy serve to clarify the
meaning of the jargon and illustrate the importance of stable attachments.
Keywords: Trauma, separation, attachment, nameless dread, continuity of
experience, transitional placements.
Lanyado, M. (2002). Creating transitions in the lives of children suffering from “multiple
traumatic loss.” In L. Caldwell (Ed.) The Elusive Child (pp. 93-112).
Monica Lanyado is a professional child therapist who presents her work with a 3year-old child who has been through several placements and is preparing for
adoption. The chapter describes the inner experiences of the child, who has shown
remarkable progress in a supportive foster home, and is preparing for adoption.
The chapter uses research, the author’s professional insights, and the experiences
of the young boy to illustrate the importance of preparing for transitions and
working with children and families to deal with the feelings of loss created by
separations.
Keywords: Multiple traumatic loss; creating transitions; attachment and
separation; case examples.
Levy, T. M. & Orlans, M. O. (1995). Attachment, Trauma, and Healing: Understanding
and Treating Attachment Disorder in Children and Families. Washington, D.C.:
Child Welfare League of America Press.
This book is sensitively written and based on the solid clinical experience of two
of today’s leading attachment therapists, Tom Levy and Michael Orlans. It
examines the causes of attachment disorders and provides in-depth discussion of
effective solutions, including attachment-focused assessment and diagnosis,
specialized training and education for caregivers, treatment for children and
caregivers that facilitates secure attachment, and early intervention and prevention
programs for high-risk families. The book is intended as a resource for
professionals and is densely packed with information, but foster parents and other
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
caregivers with an interest in learning about treatment for sever attachment
disorder will find the book immensely informative.
Chapter 12, The Child Welfare System & Public Policy, may be of
particular interest to case workers. It describes the inherent challenges in the child
welfare care system that contribute to the current “crisis in care” (ballooning
foster care population, increasing severity of trauma in foster children,
diminishing numbers of foster parents, etc.). The chapter also describes possible
solutions, including early intervention, education, prevention program, and
enhanced services and support for minimizing trauma to children and
strengthening the child welfare system.
Keywords: Attachment disorder, Reactive Attachment Disorder,
diagnosis, therapy, family therapy, parenting.
Lyons-Ruth, K. (1996). Attachment relationships among children with aggressive
behavior problems: The role of disorganized early attachment patterns. Journal of
Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(1), 64-73.
This is an excellent review article, which presents a comprehensive overview of
attachment theory and research, and their contribution to understanding of
aggressive behavior problems. It points out the influence of the early home
environment on the child’s attachment development and the unique contribution
of attachment style to behavior problems, above and beyond parenting problems
such as poor discipline and parental antisocial traits. Research on aggressive
behavior problems, including Oppositional Defiant Disorder and the more severe
Conduct Disorder, as a function of the various insecure attachment styles is
reviewed.
Keywords: Insecure attachment, aggressive behavior problems,
Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, intergenerational transmission.
Mauk, G. W. & Sharpnack, J. D. (1999). Grief. In G. Mauk & J. D. Sharpnack (Eds.),
Children’s needs’ Development, problems, and alternatives. Bethesda, MD:
National Association of School Psychologists.
The authors present an outline of the developmental tasks of children and
adolescents dealing with the loss of a loved one. The article addresses loss by
death of a loved one, but it translates to loss through separation and placement.
Research is reviewed on a number of topics related to child and adolescent grief,
including the purpose and phases of grief and mourning, grief and guilt, the
psychosocial impact of grief, indications that a child or adolescent is in need of
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
extra help for dealing with his or her grief, and others. References and resources
are provided.
Keywords: Grief, developmental aspects of grief, psychosocial aspects of
grief, prevention and intervention.
McFadden, E. J. (1992). The inner world of children and youth in care. Community
Alternatives: International Journal of Family Care, 4(1), 1-17.
This article compiles literature on the unique experience of children in the child
welfare system, focusing on the ways in which pre-placement conditions and the
experience of separation impact their thoughts and feelings, and how children in
care cope internally. The article is written for a wide audience and is appropriate
for use by foster parents, social workers, therapists, and others interested in child
welfare. It uses case vignettes and research evidence to illuminate the inner life of
children in care and advocate for sensitive responding to their needs. The article
concludes with recommendations from author, a Master Trainer for the National
Foster Care Resource Center, on ways in which caregivers can respect the inner
experiences of these children and supportively encourage healthy expression of
their troubles.
Keywords: Psychological effects of maltreatment, fears in normal
development, separation and loss, respecting children’s inner life; supporting
expressive activities.
Newton, R., Litrownik, A. J., & Landsverk, J. A. (2000). Children and youth in foster
care: disentangling the relationship between problem behaviors and number of
placements. Child Abuse & Neglect, 10, 1363-1374.
This is an empirical article that demonstrates the harmful consequences of
multiple placements. The authors improve on the design of previous research on
this subject and reveal that children with volatile placement histories are at
increased risk for emotional and behavioral disturbances. In addition to finding
increasing severity of problems for children with pre-existing emotional and/or
behavioral problems, the authors show that even children who are well-adjusted
before entering the child welfare system experience clinically significant
depression, anxiety, and behavior problems when they experience multiple
placements.
Keyword: Placement change, foster care stability, Child Behavior
Checklist.
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
Perry, B. (2001). Bonding and attachment in maltreated children. Available from
http://www.childtrauma.org
Perry, B. (2002). Helping traumatized children. Available from
http://www.childtrauma.org
Perry, B. & Rubenstein, J. (2002). Bonding and attachment in maltreated children.
Available from http://www.childtrauma.org
These three booklets are a series developed by the ChildTrauma Academy to
assist parents, caregivers, teachers, and professionals working with maltreated and
traumatized children. The booklets address issues that are relevant to children in
care by providing basic information about the effects of maltreatment, separation,
and attachment problems, and by answering commonly asked questions about
these issues.
Keywords: Maltreated children, childhood trauma, separation and loss,
grief and mourning, bonding and attachment.
Pinderhughes, E. E. & Rosenberg, K. F. (1990). Family bonding with high risk
placements: A therapy model that promotes the process of becoming a family.
Journal of Children in Contemporary Society, 21, 204-230.
This article is often cited in the fostering and adoption literature. It describes the
experience of children and families during the immediate post-placement period.
A model of family bonding is presented, based on several theoretical and
research-derived. Some of these include the impact of the placement of family
equilibrium and that emotional chaos is predictable and does not reflect placement
failure. The authors conceptualize family bonding with “high risk” children as a
four-phase process that encourages sensitivity to emotional reactions of the placed
child and the adoptive family. They offer health-focused, preventive strategies to
help families reconfigure themselves to address the best interests of both the
children and the families.
Keywords: Adoption, family bonding, high risk placements, family health,
prevention.
Randolph, E. (1999). Children Who Shock and Surprise, Salt Lake City, UT: RFR
Publications.
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
This booklet is a quick and easy way for any person unfamiliar with the concept
of attachment to gain a working knowledge of the subject. It is written by one of
the leading authorities on attachment behavior and disorder. The booklet is an
ideal resource for foster parents and other substitute caregivers who may benefit
from education on the workings of attachment in order to cope effectively with
the children in their care. It includes basic information on attachment, attachment
styles, attachment disorder, and parenting techniques that work for children with
attachment disorders, and a brief recommended reading list for parents and
caregivers.
Keywords: Attachment, attachment styles, attachment disorder, parenting,
treatment.
Redding, R. E., Fried, C., & Britner, P. A. (2000). Predictors of placement outcomes in
treatment foster care: Implications for foster parent selection and service delivery.
Journal of Child and Family Studies, 9(4), 425-477.
This article reviews some of the empirical research on factors that contribute to
successful placements and placement disruption. The authors group the findings
into categories, indicating, for example, foster child characteristics that promote
placement success, and foster parent characteristics that promote placement
success. They include research on the children themselves, the children’s
biological family, foster parents, foster siblings, and child welfare agencies.
Keywords: Foster children, placement stability, foster parent
characteristics, service delivery.
Rycus, J. S. & Hughes, R. C. (1998). Field Guide to Child Welfare. Washington, DC:
Child Welfare League of America Publications. Electronic version available from
http://www.cbasedsolutions.com/FieldGuideWeb/FieldGuide.htm
This is a four-volume set for use by social workers and child welfare
professionals. It provides insights into the ongoing system and social changes that
characterize everyday child welfare practice and is a comprehensive source of
information. It is largely research-based and provides immediate access to "best
practice" standards combined with hands-on, step-by-step application guidelines.
This is an excellent resource for anyone who works in child welfare or related
fields.
Keywords: Child welfare, Social case work, family social work
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
Schleiffer, R. & Muller, S. (2004). Attachment representations of adolescents in
institutional care. International Journal of Child and Family Welfare, 2004(1),
60-77.
The authors of this article conducted a study of adolescents living in residential
care to investigate their attachment styles and their degree of psychopathology.
They found that virtually none of the young people in care had secure
attachments, and that they were severely burdened in psychopathological terms.
In addition, the study found that many of the youths in institutional care had
unique attachment organizations, not fitting into any of the traditional attachment
style classifications. Those with “cannot classify” attachment styles were highly
likely to have unresolved issues of grief related to separation from their biological
families. The authors speculate about the early childhood maltreatment
experiences which may have contributed to these findings, and they comment on
the hope of eventual attachment organization provided by the youths’ “cannot
classify” category. The methodology of this study is somewhat poor, limiting the
generalizability of the results. However, it does provide some descriptive data
about the frequency of clinical problems in this sample and raises valid questions
about classifying all children in care with similar labels.
Keywords: Adolescents, residential care, attachment representation,
“cannot classify” category.
Stovall, K. C., & Dozier, M. (1998). Infants in foster care: An attachment theory
perspective. Adoption Quarterly, 2(1), 55-88.
The authors provide a review of research outcomes with infants who have been
separated from their primary attachment figures, focusing on the implications of
disrupting attachment relationships for children in foster care. Developmental
consequences of maltreatment, attachment style, timing of placement, length of
placement, number of placements, and biological and foster parent characteristics
are discussed. The article is heavily grounded in attachment theory and research
and is valuable foster parents and others who are interested in further
understanding the implications of attachment theory for foster care.
Keywords: Attachment theory, foster care, parent education.
Temple,-Plotz, Strickett, T. P., Baker, C. B., & Sterba, M. N. (Eds.) (2002). Practical
Tools for Foster Parents. Boys Town, NE: Boyy Town Press.
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
The Girls and Boys Town foster program has been helping foster children and
parents manage transitions for more than 80 years. They have compiled the
knowledge gained over decades of successful foster relationships into a practical
resource book for foster parents. The book is filled with detailed lists of strategies
and techniques that foster parents can use to help modify their own and their
children’s behaviors, teaching skills for building relationships and learning selfcontrol. While the book is not overtly research-based, it does reference a few key
studies related to foster care, and it provides clear, step-by-step instructions for
how to handle an index full of situations. The book includes one short chapter on
managing transitions and presents this chapter from a point of view that is
knowledgeable and sensitive the plight of children struggling to come to terms
with transitions into, around in, or out of care.
Keywords: Foster parents, foster home care, behavior modification,
transitions.
Thomas, N. (1997). When Love is Not Enough: A Guide to Parenting with Reactive
Attachment Disorder-RAD. Glenwood Springs, CO: Families by Design.
The author of this parenting guide is a Therapeutic Parenting Specialist with over
twenty years of experience as a therapeutic foster parent. She specializes in
bonding, conscience development, and self-esteem building. The guide focuses on
parenting skills for the parents and caretakers of children with severe attachment
problems. The book is brief (111 pages), readable, and practical. It presents the
basics of attachment disorder and the impact of the disorder from the child’s and
the parent’s perspective. It focuses on “the dynamic dozen” parenting strategies
for children with attachment disorder and includes worksheets, checklists, and
resources.
Kewords: Reactive Attachment Disorder, parenting skills.
Toth, S. L. & Cicchetti, D. (1996). Patterns of relatedness, depressive symptomatology,
and perceived competence in maltreated children. Journal of Consulting and
Clinical Psychology 64(1), 32-41.
The authors of this article are major researchers in the fields of child
maltreatment, attachment, and child development. The article presents the
findings of an important study on the effects of maltreatment, and the mitigating
effects of attachment style, on children’s emotional well-being. They demonstrate
how maltreatment is associated with poor self-image and depression in children
with abuse histories and histories of insecure attachment to their primary
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
caregiver. Two highlights of this article are the findings that a secure attachment
can mitigate the devastating effects of childhood maltreatment; and that although
most insecure attachments styles are stable throughout childhood, some children
with insecure attachments to their primary caregivers are capable of forming
secure attachments to others and thereby overcome the effects of traumatic early
life experiences.
Keywords: Child maltreatment, attachment stability, child adaptation or
maladaptation.
Van IJzendoorn, M. H. & Bakemans-Kranenburg, M. J. (1996). Attachment
representations in mothers, fathers, adolescents, and clinical groups: A metaanalytic search for normative data. Journal of Consulting and Clinical
Psychology, 64(1), 8-21.
This is a meta-analytic study of extant literature to 1996 using the Adult
Attachment Interview (AAI). The AAI is a widely-used, psychometrically sound
instrument used to assess the attachment classifications of adults and adolescents,
based on their childhood experiences. The study analyses 33 studies to reveal
differences in attachment classifications for people of various cultural,
socioeconomic, clinical, and age groups. It includes results for mothers, fathers,
and adolescents with various backgrounds, including a normative group, against
which different clinical groups can be compared.
Keywords: Attachment behavior, attachment classifications, mothers,
fathers, adolescents, parent-child relations, meta analysis, clinical status, cultural
group, socioeconomic status
Webster, L. (1999). Considerations for the school psychologist when providing services
for maltreated foster children: a developmental perspective. The California School
Psychologist, 4, 5-17.
The intended audience for this article is school psychologists; however,
the subject matter is relevant and clearly presented in a manner that is appropriate
for interested social workers, foster parents, and others who work with children in
foster care. The article reviews empirical research on the developmental
implications of abuse histories in foster children, including and explanation of the
adaptive necessity of misbehavior. It also provides intervention strategies and
recommendations for communicating effectively with foster children.
Keywords: Child maltreatment, child development, intervention strategies.
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
References cited here
Steward, D. S. & O’Day, K. R. (2000). Permanency planning and attachment: a guide for
agency practice. In T. M. Levy (Ed.), Handbook of Attachment Interventions,
2000, pp. 147-168.
© 2004-2005 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation