Bowlby’s Attachment Theory and Domestic Violence

I consider domestic violence to be a significant concern as the aggression within the act has profound link to adverse childhood experiences among children. The long term parental separation considering various factors tends to have a crucial impact (Steele et al., 2016, pp. 32; Ports et al., 2016, pp. 321; Hunt et al., 2015, pp. 401). I believe that there are significant factors which link up to the juvenile detention or a parental mental illness which exaggerates the condition of experience that a child has to go through. These experiences stay forever in minds of children and are reflected in some form of aggression and violence. The parental substance abuse is also an associated factor (Steele et al., 2016, pp. 32; Ports et al., 2016, pp. 321; Hunt et al., 2015, pp. 401). The long term association and living with relatives cause greater neglect and sexual abuse can be a result of the same. The economic adversities too are being associated with the intimate partner aggression which is witnessed among the adolescents. The physical abuse arises due to lot of associated factors. I firmly believe that childhood experiences play a larger role and partner aggression based on childhood.

The study has made me understand that there is relation of theoretical approach towards explaining the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the children that includes aggression, hindered behaviour, stress and others issues in them. This is evident from the theory of Vygotsky where it is mentioned social process along with support from relatives, family, parents, peers and others in the society are the ones that influence gradual psychological function in the children (Munsami et al., 2016, p.2). Thus, the theory made me perceive that parents and people in society play a vital role in the psychological upbringing of the child. During domestic violence, the violent social environment and abusive behaviour of parents towards the child creates negative impact on their psychological thinking to consider violence and neglect to be normal. This leads the children to later reflect such behaviour in their everyday life and society as they lack perception regarding how it adversely affects their personality in society. However, Vygotsky’s theory has the weakness of informing the differences in skill set shown by learners in different social and cultural groups (Willis, 2018, p.485). This is evident as by using the theory I failed to understand about the reason in differences of behaviour of children where they show calm and constrained behaviour later in life or never involves in any form of abuse even after suffering from domestic violence as ACEs.

In the research, the Bronfenbrenner theory mentioned that microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem affect the development of behaviour of a person (Kovačević, 2019, p.30). Thus, the model helps to identify the various environments responsible for raising negative behaviour and attitude as impact of domestic violence as ACEs in children. According to the theory and through research, I understood that domestic violence as ACEs that influences adverse behaviour in the children is instigated by family and peers acting as the immediate environment (microsystem). This is supported by the study of (Jegatheesan et al., 2020, p.3116) where it is mentioned that family and peers play a crucial role and primary responsibility in supporting the development of the children. This is because in the early stages the children are unable to take their own care and require support from parents and peers for their effective development. The theory led me understand that influence of the microsystem on children facing abuse makes them develop fear to expose their condition. In this situation, the exosystem are unable to detect the children under threat making them provide hindered support to the children in the society.

According to Bronfenbrenner’s theory, mesosystem forms the connecting support between the microsystem and exosystem (Nickerson et al., 2020, p.65). In the exosystem, the presence of mass media, local polices, social services and others acts in connection with the family, peers, schools and others in microsystem (Tudge et al., 2016, p.427). In respect to services regarding domestic violence as ACEs for children, it is seen that they are developed on the basis of this connectedness explained in the theory. This is evident as the services mentioned to be provided for children suffering domestic violence is seen to include social services, police and others assessing and reviewing the family, school, peer and healthcare environment of the children. It is to determine the way microsystem in affecting the children to face abuse and actions to be taken by the exosystem in controlling the condition.

The macrosystem in Bronfenbrenner’s theory includes the attitudes and ideologies of the culture in which an individual is living (Ryan et al., 2018). This led me understand that the cultural custom and beliefs are responsible to make children suffer domestic violence as ACEs which later adversely hinders their attitude and behaviour. Thus, the theory helped me to pinpoint the different environment which influences development of behaviour in a child. The linking of Bronfenbrenner’s theory towards explaining ACEs in children I failed to determine the reason for such behaviour to be influenced by the environment. This means the theory led me fail to understand the causes which instigate hindered behaviour in the children in domestic violence influenced by the environment. It led me to focus on Bowlby’s theory to understand the reason for hindered behaviour development in children. The research regarding Bowlby’s theory informed that attachment between parents and children are required in the early stages of their development. This is because the parents act as the caregivers and lack of attachment of the children towards them makes them feel distressed and increased discomfort (Buchanan, 2017, p.10). This led me to understand that in domestic violence where the child is neglected and abused mainly by the caregivers lead them to develop anxiety, distress and other negative emotions out of inability to form attachment and experience a safe haven for their care. However, on researching it was found that weakness of Bowlby’s theory is that it fails to determine the influence gender, ethnicity, class, culture and others have on personality development (Woollett and Thomson, 2016, p.1069). This is evident as by using the theory I was unable to determine reason of difference in personality traits of children suffering from domestic violence where they show controlled emotions and actions.

The study led me understand that services for the children facing domestic violence as ACEs are developed on the context of the explained theories of Bronfenbrenner, Bowlby, Vygotsky and others. This is evident as social services are found to act in connectedness with the immediate environment of the children to determine how it is hindering their health due to violence and changes to be made in the environment. Further, services are focussed on enhancing attachment as mentioned by Bowlby’s theory of the children with the caregivers so that their safety and trust is ensured. However, I identified that lack of reporting of domestic abuse towards children from closed doors by the child or the people in the society makes the social services unable to detect which individuals required care. Moreover, the influence of the parents also makes children out of fear avoid expressing abusive act towards them and in this condition the social services are unable to detect the individuals to be supported.

The research led me understand that legislation and policies play a vital role to enhance control of ACEs in children as well as influence avoiding negativity in their behaviour out of ACEs. This is because I found that Children Act 1989 poses guidance for the local authorities and social workers regarding the way safety to the children can be ensured so that their negative behaviour and attitude raised as result of domestic violence as ACEs is avoided. It is also evident as Children Act 1989 through different sections have mentioned reporting child abuse is responsibility of the local authorities and immediate actions based on the condition are to be taken to ensure welfare of the children (legislation.gov.uk, 1898). This indicates that there is effective legal support present in the UK to take appropriate legal actions to stop domestic violence against children for enhancing their well-being.

I believe that there are significant factors which link up to the juvenile detention or a parental mental illness which exaggerates the condition of experience that a child has to go through Hughes et al., 2017, pp. 364; Merrick et al., pp. 12; Reuben et al., 2016, pp. 1111). These experiences stay forever in minds of children and are reflected in some form of aggression and violence. The economic adversities too are being associated with the intimate partner aggression which is witnessed among the adolescents. The physical abuse arises due to lot of associated factors. The contribution by the Interpersonal model has the approaches – Social learning or family of origin, the cognitive behavioural aspect, the personality consideration and the integration of the clinical theories. The clinical approach tends to explain the intimate partner aggression and is well compared to psychological disorders. The link which is very much clear can well lead to lasting harms and the social development can be impacted to a large extent. The uptake of the risk behaviours including the use of alcohol and smoking stand to be significant Hughes et al., 2017, pp. 364; Merrick et al., pp. 12; Reuben et al., 2016, pp. 1111).

The children get exposed to domestic violence and they try to portray in their lives while they are with their partners. Thus, considering the negative experiences, it would be apt to consider that the children being raised in an environment wherein the behaviour is not normal impacts their attitude and thinking. The researches in the past throw light upon Adverse Childhood Experiences is a common association to the aggression and the outcome of domestic violence. The unique collaboration with the community and the States do assist in controlling the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences.

References

Buchanan, F., 2017. Mothering babies in domestic violence: Beyond attachment theory. London: Routledge.

Hughes, K., Bellis, M.A., Hardcastle, K.A., Sethi, D., Butchart, A., Mikton, C., Jones, L. and Dunne, M.P., 2017. The effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 2(8), pp.e356-e366.

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Jegatheesan, B., Enders-Slegers, M.J., Ormerod, E. and Boyden, P., 2020. Understanding the Link between Animal Cruelty and Family Violence: The Bioecological Systems Model. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(9), p.3116.

Kovačević, J., 2019. VIolence begets violence: risk factors for bullying in postwar and postsocialist context. Psychotherapy in Achieving Health and Well-being for Children and Young People, (2), pp.27-37.

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Nickerson, A.B., Shisler, S., Eiden, R.D., Ostrov, J.M., Schuetze, P., Godleski, S.A. and Delmerico, A.M., 2020. A longitudinal study of gun violence attitudes: role of childhood aggression and exposure to violence, and early adolescent bullying perpetration and victimization. Journal of school violence, 19(1), pp.62-76.

Ports, K.A., Ford, D.C. and Merrick, M.T., 2016. Adverse childhood experiences and sexual victimization in adulthood. Child abuse & neglect, 51, pp.313-322.

Reuben, A., Moffitt, T.E., Caspi, A., Belsky, D.W., Harrington, H., Schroeder, F., Hogan, S., Ramrakha, S., Poulton, R. and Danese, A., 2016. Lest we forget: comparing retrospective and prospective assessments of adverse childhood experiences in the prediction of adult health. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 57(10), pp.1103-1112.

Ryan, J., Esau, M.V. and Roman, N.V., 2018. Legislative response to family violence in South Africa: A family centered perspective. Aggression and violent behavior, 42, pp.1-8.

Steele, H., Bate, J., Steele, M., Dube, S.R., Danskin, K., Knafo, H., Nikitiades, A., Bonuck, K., Meissner, P. and Murphy, A., 2016. Adverse childhood experiences, poverty, and parenting stress. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement, 48(1), p.32.

Tudge, J.R., Payir, A., Merçon‐Vargas, E., Cao, H., Liang, Y., Li, J. and O'Brien, L., 2016. Still misused after all these years? A reevaluation of the uses of Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory of human development. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 8(4), pp.427-445.

Willis, A.S., 2018. The efficacy of phenomenography as a cross-cultural methodology for educational research. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 41(5), pp.483-499.

Woollett, N. and Thomson, K., 2016. Understanding the intergenerational transmission of violence. SAMJ: South African Medical Journal, 106(11), pp.1068-1070.