Attachment Disorder and Childhood Sexual Abuse: Review of Six Related Parts

Conceptual Overview of the Relationship between Attachment Disorder in Adults and Childhood Sexual Abuse

An attachment disorder (AD) refers to situations wherein individuals experience difficulties in the establishment of social and emotional bonds with others. Strong attachments begin in one's early life through bonding between child and parent. When a strong attachment does not develop or when an attachment between child and parent is disrupted, AD ensues. AD is recognized by the exhibition of negative and unproductive behaviors and emotions by the child (Zeanah, Scheeringa, Boris, Heller, Smyke, & Trapani, 2004).

The disruptive experiences that cause the development of AD in infants can have far reaching and lasting effects. Research has found that attachment disorders can have negative effects on the development of children through their teens. Research also has found that AD can persist into adulthood (Kalsched, 2001). The American Psychiatric Association (2000), in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR, provides definitions and diagnosis criteria for attachment disorders.

Several actions and behaviors on the part of parents or other care givers in a child's early life have been identified through research as causal factors in the development of attachment disorders (Sherry, Lyddon, & Henson, 2007). One of these causal factors is child abuse on the part of the child's care giver. One form of child abuse that c

Related Essays

Childhood Sexual Abuse and Incest .... giver, and disruption of the attachment relationship may .... syndrome of multiple personality disorder is associated .... through infancy and the childhood years, Stern .... (9881 40 )

Self-Mutilation .... a synthesis of the literature review. .... concluded that eating disorder patients are .... by insecure parental attachment, childhood sexual abuse, maternal emotional .... (8556 34 )

Needs Assessment: A Proposal .... a synthesis of the literature review. .... concluded that eating disorder patients are .... by insecure parental attachment, childhood sexual abuse, maternal emotional .... (9297 37 )

ers. Attachment theory. The study authors postulated that weak or disrupted attachment explains the changes that lead to the development of personality disorders. Attachment theory, in turn, provides the theoretical framework within which to understand the development of weak or disrupted attachment. Attachment theory focuses primarily on the development of bonds between child and caregiver" (Sherry, Lyddon, & Henson, 2007, p. 337). Integration and hypotheses. In this component, the study authors integrate their study with the literature reviewed on attachment theory and personality disorders. They also state a general research question concerning the relationship between adult attachment and developmental personality styles. The seven specific hypotheses tested posited relationships between specific attachment type and specific developmental personality style. Method. The method component in this article covered four specific issues. The issues were (a) participants, (b) instrumentation, (c) procedure, and (d) statistical analyses. The discussion of study participants included consideration of the sampling process. Results. The study results presentation included statistical data and explanatio

Category: Science - A