Child Abuse and Neglect: Attachment, Development and Intervention

322 Pages·2005·7.2 MB·English

by  David Howe (auth.)

Child Abuse and Neglect
Also by David Howe:
Social Workers and their Practice in Welfare Bureaucracies
An Introduction to Socal Work Theory
The Consumers’ View of Family Therapy
Half a Million Women: Mothers Who Lose their Children by Adoption
(with P. Sawbridge and D. Hinings)
On Being a Client: Understanding the Process of Counselling and Psychotherapy
Attachment Theory for Social Work Practice*
Attachment and Loss in Child and Family Social Work
Adopters on Adoption: Reflections on Parenthood and Children
Patterns of Adoption: Nature, Nurture and Psychosocial Development
Atta chment Theory, Child Maltreatment and Family Support* (with M. Brandon,
D. Hinings and G. Schofield)
Adoption, Search and Reunion (with J. Feast)
The Adoption Reunion Handbook (with L. Trinder and J. Feast)
Contact in Adoption and Permanent Foster Care (with E. Neil)
* Also published by Palgrave Macmillan
Child Abuse and Neglect
Attachment, Development and Intervention
David Howe
© David Howe 2005
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work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published 2005 by
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ISBN 978-1-4039-4825-0 hardback
ISBN 978-1-4039-4826-7 ISBN 978-0-230-80239-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-0-230-80239-1
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Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2005045732
This book is dedicated to the memory of my mother and father
Contents
Preface xiii
Part I 1
Emotions, Attachment and the Psychological Self
1 Developing Minds in the Context of Close Relationships 3
Introduction 3
Maltreating Minds 5
The Mental Processing of Social Information 7
2 Emotions and Mind-Mindedness 11
Emotions and their Importance in Development,
Social Competence and Mental Health 11
Affect Regulation 14
Sensitive Caregiving, Intersubjectivity and Mentalization 15
Mind-Mindedness 19
Conclusion 26
3 Patterns of Attachment 27
Introduction 27
Attachment Behaviour 27
Attachment at the Level of Mental Representation
(Internal Working Models) 28
Secure Attachments 31
Insecure and Anxious Patterns 32
Avoidant Attachments 34
Ambivalent Attachments 35
Disorganized Attachments 37
Controlling Behaviours 41
4 Defensive Processes, Attachment and Maltreatment 46
Introduction 46
Stress 48
Defensive Exclusion 48
Cognitive Disconnection (Associated with Ambivalent,
Dependent and Preoccupied Attachment Patterns) 50
Deactivation of Attachment Behaviour (Associated with
Avoidant and Dismissing Patterns) 55
vii
viii Contents
Segregated Representational Systems and Dissociation
(Associated with Unresolved and Helpless/Hostile States
of Mind, and Disorganized, Out-Of-Control and
Dissociated Patterns) 57
Types of Maltreatment 63
Conclusion 64
Part II 67
Abuse
5 Physical Child Abuse 69
Introduction 69
Characteristics of the Caregiving Environment 72
Children’s Behaviour and Development 77
The Child’s Behaviour and Mental State as an Adaptive,
Coping and Survival Strategy 80
Internal Working Model of the Self 82
Internal Working Model of Others 83
Internal Working Model of Relationships and How They Work 83
Bernard (Aged 10 Years) 85
Fabrication or Induction of Illness (F11) in Children 86
Physical Abuse: Conclusion 89
6 Psychological Maltreatment: Emotional Abuse, Neglect
and Rejection 90
Introduction 90
Characteristics of the Caregiving Environment 91
Children’s Behaviour and Development 98
The Child’s Behaviour and Mental State as an Adaptive,
Coping and Survival Strategy 101
Internal Working Model of the Self 104
Internal Working Model of Others 104
Internal Working Model of Relationships and How They Work 105
Peter (Aged Five) and Tom (Aged Three) 105
Conclusion 110
Part III 111
Neglect
7 Disorganized Neglect 119
Introduction 119
Characteristics of the Caregiving Environment 120
Contents ix
Children’s Behaviour and Development 125
The Child’s Behaviour and Mental State as an Adaptive,
Coping and Survival Strategy 126
Internal Working Model of the Self 129
Internal Working Model of Others 130
Internal Working Model of Relationships and How they Work 131
Liam (Aged Ten) and His Family 132
Conclusion 134
8 Depressed, Passive and Physical Neglect 135
Introduction 135
Characteristics of the Caregiving Environment 136
Children’s Behaviour and Development 137
The Child’s Behaviour and Mental State as an Adaptive,
Coping and Survival Strategy 138
Internal Working Model of the Self 139
Internal Working Model of Others 139
Internal Working Model of Relationships and How They Work 140
The Ledward Family 140
Conclusion 142
9 Severe Deprivation and Chronic Neglect Including
Institutionalized Care 143
Introduction 143
Characteristics of the Caregiving Environment 144
Children’s Behaviour and Development 145
The Child’s Behaviour and Mental State as an Adaptive,
Coping and Survival Strategy 148
Internal Working Model of the Self 150
The Internal Working Model of Others and Relationships 151
Georgia 151
Conclusion 152
Part IV 155
Compound Cases of Abuse and Neglect
10 Physical Abuse and Neglect 157
Introduction 157
Characteristics of the Caregiving Environment 157
Children’s Behaviour and Development 162
The Child’s Behaviour and Mental State as an Adaptive,
Coping and Survival Strategy 168
x Contents
Controlling Strategies 171
Internal Working Model of the Self 174
Internal Working Model of Others 176
Internal Working Model of Relationships and How They Work 177
Kerry (Aged Five) and Luke (Aged Three) 179
Conclusion 182
11 Drugs, Depression and Domestic Violence 183
Introduction 183
Substance Abuse 183
Depression 189
Domestic Violence 194
Conclusion 198
12 Child Sexual Abuse 199
Introduction 199
Characteristics of the Caregiving Environment 200
Children’s Behaviour and Development 203
The Child’s Behaviour and Mental State as an Adaptive,
Coping and Survival Strategy 208
Conclusion 214
Part V 215
Interventions, Treatment and Support
13 Parent–Infant and Young Child Interventions 221
Introduction 221
Enhancing Parental Sensitivity and Responsiveness at the
Behavioural Level 222
Changing Parents’ Behaviour and Mental Representations 226
Social Support and Improving Parental Well-Being 229
Conclusion 233
14 Interventions with Pre-School and School-Age Children 234
Introduction 234
Developmental Age and Chronological Age 236
Attachment Problems and Types of Treatment 239
Psychological and Affectively Attuned Interventions 241
Treatments Based on Affect Attunement and Corrective
Emotional Experiences 250
Attachment Theory and Family Therapy 258
Conclusion 259