REACTIVE ATTACHMENT: CAN THEY FEEL EMOTIONS? 2 1
Thesis statement: Research so far reveals that children with reactive attachment disorder cannot feel genuine emotion because they fail to develop a secure attachment which leads to underdeveloped primary emotions, neurological deficiencies all of which result in inappropriate emotional behaviors that follow them into adulthood.
Introduction
The doorbell rings and at the door is a caseworker with an adorable ten month old little girl in her arms. She presents the child to awaiting foster parents whom were willing to take care of her. Weeks turned into years and final adoption at four years old. The child was very difficult to say the least. Her aggressive behaviors had her kicked out of multiple daycares, the first at less than age 2 as well as preschool. This later
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Some children that have been grossly mistreated, neglected or abused fail to create secure attachments. Secure attachment is vital to the formation of the Childs sense of self and others that pave the way and sets up the course that guides the emotional and behavioral reactions that follow him through life (Hornor, 2008). It has been shown that failure to have positive experiences as well as abuse and neglect causes those memory systems to be filled with fear, mistrust and rejection (Mikic & Terradas, 2014).
Since children with RAD learn at an early age not to trust their primary caregivers to attend to their needs, they learn how to fend for themselves which leads to many antisocial behaviors that continue into adulthood.
Studies have shown that children with Reactive Attachment Disorder have neurological