Comprehensive Study Notes: Attachment Theory and Child Development

Previous Topics: We've discussed attachment theory, the casework video, bullying, the stranger situation, the three types of attachment styles, three phases of attachment, frequency, and the importance of being responsive, sensitive, and available to a child.
Emotional Timetable: Reviewed a general timetable for the emergence of emotions; this is an overview, not a strict schedule.

Long-term Impact: Unresolved childhood attachment issues (from age 3) significantly impact adolescence.
Securely Attached Adolescents: Tend to have healthier peer relationships and better emotional regulation skills.
- Reduced Risky Behaviors: Less likely to engage in behaviors such as substance use, skipping school, or not completing assignments.
- Emotional Regulation: Possess the ability to emotionally regulate and attune to high school expectations and needs.
Insecurely Attached Adolescents: Struggle with intimacy, trust, and emotional stability.
- Maladaptive Intensity: While everyone struggles with these at some point, it becomes severe when maladaptive (hyperarousal or hypoarousal).
- Emergence of Issues: May see the emergence of difficulties forming bonds, potentially leading to struggles in adult relationships.
- Case Example (Rape Fantasies): A 22-year-old individual sought therapy for distressing rape fantasies related to ages 15-19. This individual had never had a relationship due to feeling rejected by the opposite gender in adolescence, leading to an inability to form intimacy bonds. The fantasies were rooted in the period of acute disconnection and isolation, indicating an emotional arrests between those ages.
- Critical Period: Adolescence is a critical time for understanding the long-term impact of attachment on self-perception and relationships.

Identity Development: A period for developing identity, sexual exploration, political views, and environmental understandings, which can be controversial.
Societal Pressure vs. Individual Choice: Society often pressures individuals toward marriage or committed relationships, but it's acceptable to challenge this, embrace commitment differently, or prioritize a relationship with oneself.
Commitment Issues (Disorganized Attachment): Insecurely attached adults, particularly with disorganized attachment, exhibit conflicted behaviors: