He dropped a book of matches and a scorched piece of paper into the wastebasket. He seemed unaware of the hysterical girl who was clinging to her third grade teacher. The other students, paralyzed with horror, watched silently as Scott brushed ashes from his sleeve. As if nothing unusual had happened, Scott settled himself at his desk. Scott is an unattached child.
Healthy attachments begin in early infancy.
The infant experiences pain, hunger, or discomfort and expresses rage by crying. The infant learns to trust his caregiver for comfort and the bonding process begins. This bonding cycle is repeated countless times during the infant's first year of life. Uninterrupted repetition of the cycle results in a strong trust bond between infant and caregiver. Attachment disorders result when the infant's needs are not gratified.