by Chiara Bidoli
There are 7 million children in the world who live in institutions and more than 20 thousand are at risk of physical and emotional abuse. These are the data that emerged from the International Conference «Interventions in support of attachment-based parenting» held at the University of Pavia
It is estimated that there are 7 million children hosted in family homes and foster homes in the world. The data, also growing due to the wars, reported in the international conference on “Interventions in support of attachment-based parenting” which was held in recent days at the University of Pavia, coordinated by Lavinia Barone (full professor, psychotherapist of the Department of Nervous System and Behavior Sciences of the University of Pavia) and Marlene Moretti (full professor and Director of the Adolescence Laboratory of the Simon Fraser University of Vancouver) focused on the effects of institutionalization and then of foster care and adoption on the psychological development of children.
I study
According to an important study conducted in 2020 on more than 100,000 children from over 60 countries, the developmental delays of children hosted in institutions concern the development of head circumference, weight, height, but also intellectual and social-emotional development. If these children are not followed up by a dedicated caregiver, over time they can have permanent socio-emotional damage that only the structure of a family that welcomes them can significantly mitigate. “We focused on interventions to support parents. It has been scientifically proven that by working with primary caregivers it is possible to reduce the risks associated with children’s development, explains Lavinia Barone, Head of the Laboratory for Attachment and Parenting Support – LAG of the University of Pavia. These are certified evidence-based interventions, with converging results from decades of work from research laboratories around the world, covering a broad range of indicators of child and adolescent development. It emerged that the family structure, regardless of whether it is biological, adoptive or foster care, is by far the one that can recover better and faster from the damages, delays and socio-emotional discomforts of children. On the contrary, orphanages and reception institutions are places where the problems of minors increase. The latest scientific evidence tells us that it is the caregiver who takes care of the minor who makes the difference in helping him, but he must be supported to perform at his best. The biological link, on the other hand, was found to be relatively important.
The interventions
They are certified on their effectiveness and do not always involve the direct involvement of children or adolescents, but work on parents (or caregivers) to improve the relationship with minors which then has a positive, long-lasting effect on moods and behaviors of children and teenagers. “Minors are reached through their parents. In the case of younger children, up to primary school, these are home interventions. In practice, we go to homes and record videos with interactions of daily life where exchanges of relationships and games take place, rather than moments in which the parent gives rules, discipline and tries to guide the child on what can and cannot be done . Supported by a specialist, through videofeedback, parents see and understand which behaviors are more sensitive and effective and which ones to correct. As far as the parents of adolescents are concerned, the interventions are in groups and experiential work is done through, for example, role-playing games where they put themselves to the test in some typical situations. The advantage is that, in both cases, these are short interventions, lasting from 2 to 3 months maximum and the interesting thing is that these results are not exhausted once the intervention is finished but are maintained over time, and we can therefore consider them therapies with an excellent cost/benefit ratio», explains Barone.
The importance of attachment
In America and Canada these interventions are also practiced as social prevention, to keep children away from “dangerous companies”. In developing countries, including Kenya, South Africa, Mexico and India they are spreading thanks to the work of many professionals who have trained with specialized and certified training. «In fact, they are interventions that help attachment, which is the basis of the emotional and social bond that is learned within the family. If the family manages to remain an emotional point of reference capable of listening, guiding and protecting, even in times of crisis or when children grow up and seek their independence as in adolescence, this makes the difference. For adopted children who have known life paths with separations and losses, or even traumas, the involvement of adoptive parents through these interventions is a “natural recovery therapy” with positive results and of great help for everyone”, concludes Barone.
July 6, 2023 (change July 6, 2023 | 1:44 pm)
© breaking latest news