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Why We Teach What We Do:
Street kids have attitudes of “I can’t trust anyone” , “I must make it on my own”, “Before I get rejected (and I will get rejected) I am going to reject first” “The world’s a bad place”, “People are out to get you” and other attitudes which prevent them from having positive, lasting relationships.
In the 1950, a researcher named John Bowlby studied street children in London. He came up with a theory to explain why these kids behaved like they did. He developed what he called “ attachment theory” . He broke with other theorists of his time who proposed that children formed a close bond with their mother because she was the source of their food.
Bowlby proposed that the attachment that took place between an infant and his mother was a slowly unfolding process of learning that the mother could be trusted to meet the infant’s needs for comfort and food, help, and support in times of need and nurturance and love. In fact, he proved that a hungry infant would go to anyone for food, but only to his mother for comfort, support and nurturance.
Bowlby noted that an infant’s working model for attachment was developed during the first 12 months of life. By one year old, a child decided how much adults can be trusted to meet his needs, whether he would be treated in a loving or unloving way, and whether they can be trusted to protect him from danger. After one year of life, it became very difficult to modify his belief In later life. Bowlby’s theory was largely ignored until Mary Ainsworth’s work appreared in the late 1960’s.
Ainsworth identified 7 universal attachment behaviors across many countries and cultures which are necessary for babies to have to grow up with a feeling of belonging and self worth.
1. Making prolonged and intense eye contact between the mother and the baby in a manner that isn’t shown to others
2. Baby gently interacts with and touches the mother in ways that aren’t shown to others, especially during feedings
3. Protesting, often violently in the absence of mother and refusing to allow others to help to settle back down (by the age of 9 months this shows up as stranger anxiety).
4. Engaging in reciprocal babbling, play and touch with the mother.
5. Following the mother and protesting if the infant gets separated from the mother.
6. Refusing comfort and closeness from anyone other than the mother, especially when hurt, sick, or upset about something.
7. Doing what the mother wants, especially when it is at odds with what the infant wants to do.
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It is only when these behaviors are consistently shown to
the mother and aren't shown to other adults that true
attachment can be said to be present. When these behaviors
are shown inconsistently to the mother or are shown to other
adults instead, this is an indication that the attachment lenses
have been seriously distorted. The more disorganized and
distorted attachment is the greater chances are that the child
will have serious psychological problems.
- Elizabeth Randolph, PhD
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Another study was by Harlow. He chose baby monkeys and removed them from their mother at birth. He set up two mesh cages. One had a wire “mother “and food, the other had a soft cloth “ mother “. All the monkeys chose the soft cloth “mother” and clung to her. Monkeys without attachment could not enter society and starved to death.
Dr. Daphne Sheldrick who runs the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, outside of Nairobi, Kenya writes the following in her paper entitled The Elephant Orphans which is available when you visit the Trust,
“With elephants, one reaps what one sows, and how the animals will react in the company of humans when grown is dependent upon how it was handled and treated by humans when young.”” She goes on to write that elephants are one of the easiest species to return to the wild “provided that the orphan is psychological stable. This is very important, because if not, the wild herds will not want them. The key to this is the replacement human family during infancy, and being raised in a loving environment with 24 hour contact with keepers that they love and trust.”
This attachment seems as important in animals as it is in humans. Because of new brain scans and technology we can actually see the lack of development in certain areas of the brain in children with poor attachment. We know that an infant’s expereinces in the first three years of life “selects” and molds their brain pathways. Once these are formed It is very difficult to change.
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What is Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)?
RAD is a condition in which individuals have a difficulty forming loving, lasting relationships. They often have complete lack of ability to be genuinely affectionate with others. They typically fail to develop a conscience and do not learn to trust. They can be surface compliant and are very charming and act extremely loving. Uneducated adults misinterpret this as the child trusting or caring for them. |
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Lack of eye contact on parents terms
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Indiscriminately affectionate with strangers
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Not affectionate on Parent’s terms
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Destructive to self, others and material things
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No impulse controls – Frequently acts hyperactive
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Lack of cause and effect thinking
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Abnormal eating patterns – sneaking, hording
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Poor peer relations
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Preoccupation with fire, blood and gore
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Persistent nonsense questions and chatter
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Inappropriately demanding and clingy
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Abnormal speech patterns
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Triangulation of adults
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False allegations of abuse
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Presumptive entitlement issues - Anger
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Parents appear hostile and angry
There are specific treatments for this and we are continually studying them. More research needs to be done, especially in the area of street kids. That is one reason we do not have a time line for when the children have to leave Challenge Farm. We will not send them until they are psychologically sound so that they can be productive members of society. |