Behavioral Indicators as Attachment Difficulties

In the last few decades, children adopted from Romania, some of whom were institutionalized, have been touted as examples of how deprivation can affect attachment. Attachment Theory has often been utilized to explain difficult behaviors. However, measuring attachment has often proven to be challenging, as most measures have been developed for young children.

This study presents the findings of secondary data analysis from survey data of American adoptive parents of Romanian children. Scores from the subscales of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were used as a proxy for attachment difficulties. Two hundred and thirty-two cases were analyzed to detect changes in behaviors over time, controlling for variables such as institutionalization and parent demographics. Additionally, the CBCL scores were compared to clinical and non-clinical norms. Recommendations for research, practice and policy centered on the development of more precise measures for research, education for parents who internationally adopt and advocacy for the continuity of post-adoption assistance for families.