Clinicians interest for the existence and outcomes of maltreatment and abuse on children is relatively recent; the first systematic treatise on the subject indeed dates back the 60’s of the '900. Neglect is considered the most common form of child abuse. Unlike physical or sexual abuse, which is generally incident-specific, the neglect involves chronic situations that are not easily identifiable as specific incidents, but is characterized as acts of omission on the part of the caregiver to provide adequate care. The lack of caregivers love and continuous care for a child at the beginning of the development responds to a real biological need: maternal deprivation in the early stages leads to damage in child development; the attachment between mother and child is, indeed, an interaction based on the experience essential for a normal development. The present study examines these phenomena with a specific focus on attachment theory. Attachment theory and studies derived from this research paradigm can contribute to understand risk and resilience factors involved in the development of abused children. Being abused by those who should take care and protect him is undoubtedly one of the most frightening experiences a child have to deal with, and the main patterns of attachment that is observed in these children are the insecure and disorganized ones. Unresolved mental states of caregivers and their influence on infant disorganization are also described. In the second chapter of this paper developmental outcomes related to mistreatment, especially through the impact it has on the development disorganized attachment, will be examined. Hidden trauma and complex trauma as the outcome of the disorganization of attachment will be treated; large space is dedicated to the neurobiological correlates of child abuse and neglect and trauma of the development, and the consequences of ill-treatment and neglect of life-long learning. Since the pattern of disorganized attachment tents, without intervention, to remain stable, the last chapter presents an overview of the main attachment-based interventions to support parenting, either a description of those evidence-based, proven effective in reducing this type of dysfunctional patterns and fostering attachment security in children, with particular attention to actions aimed at risk of child abuse and neglect families.
L’interesse dei clinici per l’esistenza e gli esiti del maltrattamento e dell’abuso sui bambini è relativamente recente; il primo trattato sistematico sull’argomento risale, infatti, agli anni ‘60 del ‘900. La trascuratezza, o neglect, è considerata la forma più frequente di maltrattamento infantile. A differenza dell’abuso fisico o sessuale, che è in genere incidente-specifico, il neglect coinvolge situazioni croniche che non sono facilmente identificabili come specifici incidenti, ma si connota come atti di omissione da parte del caregiver nel fornire cure adeguate. La mancanza di cure amorevoli e continuative per un bambino da parte di un caregiver all’inizio dello sviluppo risponde a una vera e propria esigenza biologica: la deprivazione materna in fasi precoci porta a danni nello sviluppo del bambino; l’attaccamento tra madre e figlio è, infatti, un’interazione basata sull’esperienza essenziale per uno sviluppo normale. Il presente elaborato esamina questi fenomeni con un focus specifico sulla teoria dell’attaccamento; infatti la teoria dell’attaccamento e gli studi derivati da questo paradigma di ricerca possono contribuire alla comprensione dei fattori di rischio e di resilienza coinvolti nello sviluppo dei bambini maltrattati. L’esperienza di subire maltrattamento da parte di coloro che dovrebbero prendersi cura di lui e proteggerlo è senz’altro una delle più spaventose a cui un bambino può essere sottoposto, e il pattern di attaccamento che si osserva in questi bambini è prevalentemente quello insicuro e disorganizzato. Vengono descritti, inoltre, gli stati mentali irrisolti dei caregiver e la loro influenza sulla disorganizzazione infantile. Nel secondo capitolo di questo elaborato verranno presi in esame gli esiti evolutivi legati al maltrattamento soprattutto attraverso l’impatto che ha sullo sviluppo l’attaccamento disorganizzato: si parlerà di trauma latente e di trauma complesso come esiti della disorganizzazione dell’attaccamento, nonché della comparsa delle cosiddette condotte controllanti nella seconda infanzia; ampio spazio è dedicato ai correlati neurobiologici di maltrattamento e neglect e alla traumatologia dello sviluppo, e alle ripercussioni di maltrattamento e neglect lungo tutto l’arco della vita. Poiché il pattern di attaccamento disorganizzato tende, senza intervento, a rimanere stabile, l’ultimo capitolo presenta una rassegna dei principali interventi attachment-based di sostegno alla genitorialità, privilegiando la descrizione di quelli evidence-based, di provata efficacia nel ridurre questo tipo di pattern disfunzionale e nel favorire la sicurezza dell’attaccamento nei bambini, con particolare attenzione agli interventi rivolti a famiglie a rischio di maltrattamento e trascuratezza.
Maltrattamento e trascuratezza del bambino e teoria dell'attaccamento: esiti evolutivi e possibili interventi.
PORCU, STEFANIA
2015/2016
Abstract
Clinicians interest for the existence and outcomes of maltreatment and abuse on children is relatively recent; the first systematic treatise on the subject indeed dates back the 60’s of the '900. Neglect is considered the most common form of child abuse. Unlike physical or sexual abuse, which is generally incident-specific, the neglect involves chronic situations that are not easily identifiable as specific incidents, but is characterized as acts of omission on the part of the caregiver to provide adequate care. The lack of caregivers love and continuous care for a child at the beginning of the development responds to a real biological need: maternal deprivation in the early stages leads to damage in child development; the attachment between mother and child is, indeed, an interaction based on the experience essential for a normal development. The present study examines these phenomena with a specific focus on attachment theory. Attachment theory and studies derived from this research paradigm can contribute to understand risk and resilience factors involved in the development of abused children. Being abused by those who should take care and protect him is undoubtedly one of the most frightening experiences a child have to deal with, and the main patterns of attachment that is observed in these children are the insecure and disorganized ones. Unresolved mental states of caregivers and their influence on infant disorganization are also described. In the second chapter of this paper developmental outcomes related to mistreatment, especially through the impact it has on the development disorganized attachment, will be examined. Hidden trauma and complex trauma as the outcome of the disorganization of attachment will be treated; large space is dedicated to the neurobiological correlates of child abuse and neglect and trauma of the development, and the consequences of ill-treatment and neglect of life-long learning. Since the pattern of disorganized attachment tents, without intervention, to remain stable, the last chapter presents an overview of the main attachment-based interventions to support parenting, either a description of those evidence-based, proven effective in reducing this type of dysfunctional patterns and fostering attachment security in children, with particular attention to actions aimed at risk of child abuse and neglect families.È consentito all'utente scaricare e condividere i documenti disponibili a testo pieno in UNITESI UNIPV nel rispetto della licenza Creative Commons del tipo CC BY NC ND.
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14239/8110