This article will describe these forces and provide suggestions for helping children and families understand and cope with them. Attachment Attachment is the social and emotional relationship children develop with the significant people in their lives. An infant's first attachment is usually formed with its mother, although in some circumstances another adult can become the primary attachment figure. Attachment is a process made up of interactions between a child and his or her primary caregiver. Continuity involves the caregiver's constancy and repetition of the parent-child interactions.
Stability requires a safe environment where the parent and child can engage in the bonding process.
Mutuality refers to the interactions between the parent and child that reinforce their importance to each other. Research has demonstrated that two primary parenting behaviors are most important in developing an infant's attachment to a caregiver. Studies of infants raised in institutional settings suggest that neither behavior alone is sufficient for secure attachment. For example, one study found that institutionalized infants failed to form strong attachments to caregivers who readily met their physical needs but did not engage them in social interaction. From a child protection perspective, separation has several benefits, the most obvious being the immediate safety of the child.