Strange Situation at the Border: Examining the Importance of Attachment and Consequences of Forcible Separation

AbstractImmigrant families that flee their native countries to seek asylum in the USA are now met with numerous challenges along their journey. Once they arrive, many are faced with incarceration for illegal entry, which results in the separation of children from their parents based on the immigration policies from the Trump Administration. Children of all ages are separated and held in less than desirable facilities, without any contact with their parents or knowledge of their well-being. This abrupt separation between parent and child for an extended period of time is detrimental to the development of the child. Research had found life stressors on young children negatively impact the structure of the brain and connectivity. It is critical to the growth and development of a child to develop a strong bond with their caregiver in order to establish trust and intimacy, according to attachment theory. A deficit in this area can result in issues with future relationships where developing a bond and trust and having confidence might be difficult to embrace. Children experiencing attachment disorder might display behaviors that are aggressive and tend to lack showing affection towards others.
Source: Global Social Welfare - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research