Category Archives: 2 Prof. Knowledge & Understanding

John Bowlby- Attachment Theory

During a lecture on the Social Child- Attachment I took a great interest in John Bowlby. I feel this was mainly due to the fact that I both agreed and disagreed with parts of his theory. John Bowlby is a theorist who believes that attachment is a crucial factor to the start of a child’s life. The bond the child then makes, which is usually with the mother, is a bond that will help develop the child as it goes through life. If the child has an attachment with someone who meets all the categories in Maslows Hierarchy of Needs then the child will therefore have: higher self esteem, be in a caring environment, be more socially skilled and overall more secure. However, despite agreeing that a child needs a primary attachment I disagree with Bowlby when he states that maternal deprivation will result in delinquent personality. Many children who have not had the attachment and in some cases children who have to be taken in to care have the ability, in my eyes, to create an attachment later on in life. This may be with adopted parents or foster cares. With the right care and a positive attachment the child can do very well in life and when having their own child can create an attachment despite not having their own at a young age. I understand that many children may fall through the school system due to lack of support from people at home and who’s self esteem is low to the stage where they don’t believe in themselves. This may result in the social and emotional health being altered negatively. The attachment they then have with their child could possibly mirror the negative bond they had, as they have not experienced anything different. However, with the right care I feel a childs development through attachment can be reversed and a positive outcome can conclude.