As discussed earlier, infants and very young children must be able physically to see objects to keep them psychologically available. However, with time, children can build psychological representations of objects, people, and relationships. Recent research suggests that through maintenance of mental models of caregivers, children are influenced in their formation of relationships with peers and in the development of successful interactions with friends. In a similar vein, adolescents are influenced by models of adult caregivers as they begin developing long-term relationships with significant others. To better understand normal and abnormal child development, much research has been conducted comparing the behavior of securely attached and insecurely attached children.
Disasters are events postulated with separation and loss.
Irrespective of the quality of the child's attachment to the caregiver as secure or insecure, unexpected separation and disruption of one's secure environment results in fear, anxiety, and disorganization of one's own behavior. Children who have experienced secure attachment relationships with a nurturing caregiver are the most resilient in reconciling the disruption and recovering from traumatic events. The disruption and loss experienced will most likely be more difficult to resolve for children who have experienced insecure attachment relationships. Children's daily experiences with parents affect their concept of self and relationships with others. Children with more positive relationships with peers express more positive behaviors.