In the normal development of every individual, the need to form secure attachments with their parents is present. Developmental theorists have even categorized attachment as a basic need of every human being, (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010). Secure attachments take place when the physical and emotional needs of the child are constantly provided, particularly during the first two years of life. Healthy attachments will make children internalize their parents as figures of trust; this in turn will make them perceive their parents with an image of security, stability, and dependence. Healthy parent-child attachment is necessary to allow the child to develop interdependence and learn to engage in reciprocally pleasurable interactions. Securely attached …show more content…
Some distinctive characteristics and behaviors of individuals suffering RAD include, but not limited to: random affection to strangers, lack of affection to caregivers (particularly mother), refusing or hesitant to receive affection, hyperactivity and impulsivity, vandalism, cruelty against animals, aggression towards self or others, significant language and motor delay, lack of self-control, social disinhibition, and withdrawn, (Day, 2001; Gleason et al., 2011; Richters & Volkmar, 1994). Although RAD shares some clinical signs with depression, the disorder can be present without it, (Gleason et al., …show more content…
Long-term continuation of RAD in children may lead to the further deterioration of behavior, with increasing levels of manipulation and violence as they move to adolescence. Individuals who do not respond effectively to treatment often become psychopaths in adulthood, (Day, 2001; Gleason et al., 2011). Pediatricians are usually the first to notice some signs of the condition. Among some of the professional organizations that actively work and warn the public regarding this disorder are: the Amecican Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), the American Psychological Association’s Division on Child, Youth and Family Services, Advocates for Children in Therapy, and Institute for Attachment and Child Development, (Chaffin et al., 2006; Forester, 2014; “Reactive Attachment Disorder …”, 2011); and many other national and local government