Re: bonding study COMMENTS

["Aron Shlonsky" <shlonsky@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'd like to thank Rick for raising this issue - I looked back at my post 
and realize that I stated "reciprocal bonding" rather than "reciprocal 
attachment."  I agree that bonding and attachment are NOT the same and 
should not be treated as such.

Regards,

Aron

At 01:03 PM 9/28/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>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@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 21:51:09 -0500
>Subject: bonding study
>To: Child Maltreatment 
>Researchers   <CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@xxxxxxxxxxx
>
>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
>
>
>-- End original message --

Aron Shlonsky, MSW, MPH
Research Associate
UC Berkeley
School of Social Welfare
Center for Social Services Research
16 Haviland Hall #7400
Berkeley, CA  94720-7400
(510) 642-8139
(510) 642-1895 fax
shlonsky@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx