Review of Assessing disorganized attachment behaviour in children: An evidence-based model for understanding and supporting families

Abstract

Reviews the book, Assessing Disorganized Attachment Behaviour in Children: An Evidence-based Model for Understanding and Supporting Families edited by David Shemmings & Yvonne Shemmings (2014). This British collection is a welcome addition to the literature on child protection. The book presents an evidence-based model for working with and assessing children with disorganized attachment and their carers, utilizing contemporary attachment theory and research. The book draws heavily on the concept of mentalization, which is described as a central capacity in parenting; that is, a parent's capacity to understand and imagine the intentions and thinking of his or her child. The book is organised into 17 chapters, some of which are authored by the editors, and others by experienced practitioners. The book focuses on an intervention based on mentalisation—the Assessment of Disorganised Attachment and Maltreatment (ADAM) project—which is described in various child protection settings. The authors eloquently describe the stresses on social workers in child protection and the potential dehumanisation of the work, by which child protection work becomes bureaucratised, paperwork heavy, with emphasis on risk checklists, and at the price of authentically relating to families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)Child and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS), Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, QLD, Australia. Other Publishers: Australian Association of Social Workers; Blackwell Publishing. Release Date: 20160331. Publication Type: Journal (0100), Peer Reviewed Journal (0110). Format Covered: Electronic. Document Type: Review-Book. Language: EnglishMajor Descriptor: Attachment Behavior; Childhood Development; Intervention; Protective Factors; Mentalization. Minor Descriptor: Behavior Problems; Evidence Based Practice. Classification: Community & Social Services (3373). Population: Human (10). Age Group: Childhood (birth-12 yrs) (100). Reviewed Item: Shemmings, David (Ed); Shemmings, Yvonne (Ed). Assessing disorganized attachment behaviour in children: An evidence-based model for understanding and supporting families=London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 240 pp., $49.95; 2014. References Available: Y. Page Count: 2. Issue Publication Date: Oct, 2015. Copyright Statement: Sally Young. 2015.Shemmings, David (Ed); Shemmings, Yvonne (Ed). (2014); Assessing disorganized attachment behaviour in children: An evidence-based model for understanding and supporting families; London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 240 pp., $49.95; 9781849053228 (Paperback). <br />