Re: bonding study COMMENTS

[rbarth@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Rick Barth)]

Sara: I understand the need to gather information for court reports about what is in the best
interest of children and wish you well in getting some assistance on that. But, I want to use your
request to make a different point.

I think it's time we move away from the unscientific idea that children "bond" with adults.  Animals
may be imprinted and "bond" but children don't.  Of course children have reciprocal relationships
with parent-figures (and siblings and other caregivers) and these develop in different degrees of
depth and have different meanings.  That should be assessed.  I hardly think that it is appropriate
to dehumanize our children by using language that indicates that human nature is fixed and that
children are objects that can be bonded.  (See Diane Eyer's 1992 book, entitled Parent-Infant
Bonding a Scientific Fiction).

This is not a criticism of you or your request, of course, but a challenge to the field to find new
language and concepts to use in our work.  

RIck

Richard P. Barth, Ph.D.
Frank A Daniels Professor and
Chair of the Doctoral Program
School of Social Work
301 Pittsboro Rd
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC  27599-3550
(v) 919 962 6516
(f)        962 1486

-- Begin original message --

From: "SaraMcLeod" <saramcleod@mediaone.net>
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 21:51:09 -0500
Subject: bonding study
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers   <CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu>
Reply-To: CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu

I am interested in finding guidelines for conducting bonding studies.  These are requested  in the 
context of children who have been removed from their biological parents' homes for significant 
periods of time due to concerns of neglect/abuse, and the courts being interested in assessing 
whether there is any attachment prior to terminating the parents' [parental] rights.  I have plenty 
ideas of what to look for in observing the parent-child interaction, but am interested in specific 
guidelines or protocols.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Sara McLeod


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