September 30, 2018

THEORY IN PRACTICE
Attachment Theory and Family Separation

The Problem
Separating a child from
their primary caregiver
leads to health concerns,
particularly mental
health issues. Between
April and May 2018,
approximately 2,342
children were separated
from their caregivers at
the U.S.-Mexico border.
Children could
communicate with
families by telephone or
video conferencing twice
per week during the
Theory and Intervention
time in which they were Attachment is an innate bond that is necessary for survival and
detained.
 inherently influences the emotional and psychological
development of the child. John Bowlby’s attachment theory
emphasizes emotional bonding between a child and its
Consequences primary caregiver, particularly during a time when the child
feels unsafe. Bonding helps form secure attachments, which
Parental deprivation and
impact resilience, social connections, and social adaptation
exposure to traumatic events,
across the lifespan. Children experience three phases of
especially in the first 12
attachment: proximity maintenance, safe haven behavior and
months of life, can lead to
secure base behavior. From these phases, children develop
failure of the child to develop
one of three attachment styles (see page 2).
an attachment. In the
longterm, these children are at
greater risk for developing
mental health problems
including depression, anxiety
and PTSD.

1

Attachment Styles
• Secure attachment (type
B): Children are confident
that their caregiver can
meet their needs. Infants
are easily soothed by their
caregiver in times of
distress.
• Anxious/insecure avoidant
(type A): Infants are
independent from their
caregiver, physically and
emotionally. They explore
their environments without
considering the presence
of their caregiver, and do
not rely on their caregiver
for comfort when
distressed.
• Anxious ambivalent/
insecure resistant (type C):
Infants are ambivalent
towards their caregiver.
They have difficulty
moving away from the
caregiver when they want
to explore their
environment and are hard
to soothe during times of
distress.
September 30, 2018
Three-step approach to rebuilding attachment:
1. Address external factors like family separation, violence
and mental health. Children need close proximity and the
ability to use the parent as a “safe haven” during
development. Remove or minimize any barriers that prevent
these behaviors.
2. Address internal factors like sensitivity and response.
Educate schedule sessions with caregivers to review child
cues, record sessions for parents to review and encourage
skin-to-skin contact to promote bonding.
3. Reunify families in a safe environment. Provide referrals
to physical and mental health resources so families can start
the healing process together.
Outreach
The following organizations provide support to families
who have been affected by forced separation. Donations
go towards legal aid and supplies. 



American Civil Liberties Union: https://action.aclu.org/give/
make-tax-deductible-gift-aclu-foundation-0



The Refugee and Immigration Center for Education and
Legal Services (RAICES):  

https://actionnetwork.org/groups/raices-refugee-and-
immigrant-center-for-education-and-legal-services



Texas Civil Rights Project: https://
texascivilrightsproject.org/donate/



Florence Immigration & Refugee Rights Project: https://
firrp.org/donate/
The Young Center: https://www.theyoungcenter.org/stories/
2018/6/19/how-you-can-help-end-family-separation-and-
support-immigrant-children
2
 September 30, 2018

References

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