Attachment Theory
Attachment theory suggests that relationships early in a child's life strongly influence their development and capacity to form relationships with others in the future. This framework is rooted in evolutionary theory, and built on principles of the biological pre-programming of children to form attachments with others (parents) to help them survive.
Understanding attachment theory can be particularly useful in the context of working with children growing up in care, where disruption in early relationships and loss or separation from biological family is common. Attachment theory can help us understand the long-lasting impacts of neglect and separation in early life, and can guide our understanding of the mechanisms to forming new, healthy attachments in the future. Attachment theory explores the long-lasting 'cognitive model' that children develop and use as a template through life for interacting in future relationships.
Kim Golding and Dan Hughes' 'house model of parenting', based on knowledge of how children build secure attachment relationships in infancy, explores how carers can help build more secure relationships with children who have experienced trauma or loss on the past. Part of this approach involves finding ways to emotionally engage with a child or young person with attachment difficulties, which is where the PACE principles of parenting can be valuable.
Attachment & PACE
Implementing Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy in interactions is a form of active engagement which can help carers respond to the past experiences of a young person in care. It is a framework which can facilitate a child's emotional regulation, help them understand and reflect on their own experiences and relationship interactions, and ultimately help create a stronger sense of trust and belonging. Developing a sense of security and trust is crucial in carer-child relationships, and can be highly effective in helping set boundaries and avoid confrontation to regulate behaviour. PACE principles can help foster the positive environment within a home that children in care require to develop their own behavioural management, and develop emotionally and cognitively more generally.
The ability to emotionally engage with children and young people who have experienced trauma is essential in all sorts of contexts, from foster care to schools to residential care. Integrating the principles of attachment theory and PACE provide a framework for understanding patterns of attachment and behaviour, and may be highly beneficial in helping you provide stronger, more supportive care to young people in the future.
For a better understanding of Attachment Theory and PACE principles, take a look at the courses we have to offer. We want to empower foster carers, residential workers, teachers and others with the transformative way of understanding child behaviour that PACE can provide.
References: Golding, Kim S. Nurturing attachments: Supporting children who are fostered or adopted. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2008.
