How attachment affects child development?

Attachment is how we form bonds and relate to others in our life, starting from childhood and lasting into adulthood. It is an emotional bond that we form with others, and the first attachments that we form are with early caregivers. Research shows that even as infants, we start to develop trust and mistrust with our primary caregivers. After 9 months, children can form strong emotional bonds with others outside their primary caregivers.

There are different types of attachment styles, both healthy and unhealthy. There is a secure attachment that is the ideal attachment style and is characterized by independence and trust in others in relationships. The disordered attachment styles are characterized by avoidance, confusion, and distress whenever left alone. Disordered attachment styles include anxious/avoidant, fearful, and dismissive. Anxious attachment styles are characterized by fear of abandonment and vulnerability when left alone. Dismissive attachment style is characterized by difficulty with intimacy and depending on others, regardless of context.  Fearful attachment style is characterized by fear of being hurt and becoming physically or emotionally close with others.

These different ways of attaching affect child development in multiple ways. Children learn how to relate to early caregivers, and developing a healthy, secure attachment will result in positive outcomes for the child and more positive outcomes later on in life. Inversely, disorganized attachment can result in more vulnerability to mental health disorders and difficulty forming healthy and secure relationships into adulthood. Children also learn about their world through attachment by understanding cultural and societal variables that influence and affect the relationships that they form and the individuals they engage with.

The attachment also pertains to development as it affects the child’s view of self and others. Attachment and relationships teach children about the world and how to relate to others, which they will do throughout their childhood. Relationships with authority figures as well as peers will shape these interactions throughout the child’s life. Children also learn things about themselves through attachment, including traits, qualities, strengths, and even personal weaknesses.