AO1 - Effects of Institutionalisation

• Institutionalisation is the behaviour patterns of children who have been raised outside of the family home in an institution such as an orphanage or a residential children’s home.
• Extended stays in institutions can result in children permanently behaving according to the rule of the institution and losing their personal identity (deindividuation).
• Deprivation is a break in the emotional bond whereas privation is the total lack of any attachment bond.
• Disinhibited attachment can be seen in children who experience early life in institutional care.
• Disinhibited attachment is where children show the same level of attention and affection to familiar people and strangers.
• Rutter (2006) explained that disinhibited attachment may be an adaptation to living with multiple caregivers.
• Rutter et al (2011) found that most children arriving from Romanian orphanages showed signs of intellectual disability.
• Hodges & Tizard (1989) found the negative effects of institutionalisation are overcome to a large extent by adopted children, when compared to those restored back to their biological parents.