Attachment Isn't Just for Early Childhood
Shirley K. Trout, M.Ed

The role of attachment in early childhood has been well-documented as critical to healthy social and emotional adjustment to the child's emerging world, as well as to the child's cognitive development. "Empathy, caring, sharing, inhibition or aggression, capacity to love and a host of other characteristics of a healthy, happy and productive person are related to the core attachment capabilities which are formed in infancy and early childhood," according to Bruce Perry, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, Texas.
Yet how many parents and early childhood caregivers realize the role they are playing in reducing alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use, deviance and early sexual activity once these children reach early adolescence (10 to 15)?
Indeed, the most important parenting strategy that research shows helps to delay of onset of ATOD use and other high-risk behaviors by early adolescents is that same, profoundly important human capability: Attachment. Healthy adolescent development involves not only the ability to be a successful individual, but also the ability to maintain healthy and satisfying attachments with others (Steinberg, 1996). Parent-child attachment has been found to be the strongest inhibitor of delinquency among various demographic and family factors (Gove & Crutchfield, 1982). These statements are among the many that verify the importance of attachment capabilities in the research report prepared by the Nebraska Council to Prevent Alcohol and Drug Abuse. The research has led to the development of a Parent Education program titled, When It Comes From You.
One interesting finding from early adolescent development and resiliency research is that, during early adolescence in particular, the healthy attachment often involves an adult other than the parent. Yet, consistently, it is the ability of a child to allow that healthy attachment which results in the child's ability to form lifesaving relationships.
As child care providers and early childhood educators continue their work with young children, they should recognize what a powerful role they are playing when they encourage every child to bond successfully with both the child's primary caregiver, as well as the other significant adults who influence that child's life. In helping that child establish healthy attachments for his or her immediate development, caregivers and educators are also making a huge contribution toward the successful prevention of high-risk behaviors later in that child's life.

[Sources: Perry, Bruce (1998). Childhood trauma and neurophysiological development. Paper presented at the 17th Annual Conference of the National CASA Association, Houston, TX., May 30 - June 2, 1998. Gove, W.R., and Crutchfield, R.D. (1982). The family and juvenile delinquency. Sociological Quarterly, 23, 301-319. Steinberg, L.D. (1996). Adolescence, 4th Ed. McGraw-Hill.]