Emotional Security Key To Child Development

Emotional Security Key To Child Development: New research from the Sutton Trust suggests that there is a link between attainment and the emotional bonds formed between parents and young children. The study, which focuses on the psychological concept of ‘secure attachment’, said that two in five babies do not develop the strong emotional bonds with their parents which are vital for succeeding in later life.

The report, which comprised a review of a number of international studies on the topic, found that infants aged less than three who fail to form strong bonds with parents were more prone to suffering from aggression, defiance and hyperactivity as they grow up.

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Emotional Security Key To Child Development, Says Report

As mentioned above, only around six in ten children form strong emotional bonds with their parents. The remaining 40% are broken down in to those who actively avoid their parents when upset (around 25%) and a further 15% who resist their parents because they cause them distress.

The report states that the issue affects children from families across all social classes, although boys are likely to be affected more than girls in terms of their behaviour suffering as a result of a lack of emotional engagement.

Although the effects of insecurity and lack of attachment manifest themselves early in a child’s life through poorer language skills and behavioural issues, the problem also follows individuals through later life. For instance, insecure children are less likely to go on to further education, employment or training after school. Indeed, in one specific study carried out in the United States, the levels of parental emotional attachment predicted with 77% accuracy whether or not a child would graduate high school. This prediction was found to be as accurate as IQ tests as well as standardised testing performance.

Children with secure attachments to their parents are also more likely to be resilient to poverty or familial changes – such as family instability, parental depression or stress. Boys who grew up in poverty were two and a half times less likely to have behavioural problems at school if they formed solid attachments to their parents in early years.

The findings also have implications for health – with the report suggesting that where mothers have weak emotional bonds with their babies, the child is more likely to be obese upon moving in to the adolescent years of their life.

Parents who were themselves insecurely attached to their own mother and father, those who are living in poverty, or those who have mental health issues find it hardest to bond with their babies and this to provide the secure emotional bond which is key to development.

Recommendations from the Sutton Trust to counteract the findings of the report include:

  • Children’s Centres having an increased focus on parenting – particularly for children under three;
  • Health visitors and other health services taking more action to support attachment and parenting;
  • Local authorities offering parenting programmes for higher risk families
The statistic relating to 40% of children not being securely attached is derived from a number of studies utilising reliable measures of attachment, and with nationally representative sample sizes. These include the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study in the United States for instance, as well as numerous others in Europe and North America.

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