effects of institutionalisation

• privation - where a child has never had an attachment to its mother or caregiver
• deprivation - where an attachment was once formed but is now brocken.
• Rutter (1981) found that effects of maternal privation were more likely too be serious that the effects of maternal depreviation.

  evidence from case studies of children who suffered through difficult conditions or cruel treatment
• Romanian orphans - in overcrowded orphanages were fed and clothed but lacked for of sensitive care or any opportunity to form an emotional attachment
• Rutter et all (2007) longitudinal study of Romanian orphans: method - 111 Romanian orphans adopted by British families were compared with 52 uk adoptees followed over prolonged period. some 6 months old some older. Each child assessed at 4,6 and 11 years old
• Romanian study: results - children younger 6 months had same level of emotional development as UK children. Romanian orphans older 6 months showed signs of insecure attachment and social problems which UK orphans did not show.
• Romanian orphanage study: Conclusion - effects of privation can be reversed if attachment starts to form before 6 months and long term affects are more permanent.

  maternal deprivation on its own does not cause permanent affects UK adopted children did not show any signs
• studies of 44 juvenile thieves and Romanian orphans and other institutionalisation and hospitalisation studies have suggested long term effects of disrupted attachment can include:

  1. affectionless psychopathy
  2. anaclitic depression
  3. deprivation dwarfism
  4. delinquency
  5. reduced intelligence
• long-term affects of institutionalisation:

  1. affectionless psychopathy - don't care about how their actions affected others (seen in 44 thieves study)
• long-term affects of institutionalisation:

  2. anaclitic depression - involving apetite loss, sleeplessness and impaired social and intellectual development
• long-term affects of institutionalisation:

  3. deprivation dwarfism - infants are physically underdeveloped due to emotional deprivation
• long-term affects of institutionalisation:

  4. delinquency - minor crimes committed by youths
• long-term affects of institutionalisation:

  5. reduced intelligence - infants don't develop intellectually as fast as their peers