Transcript Document

Institutionalisation
 Children
in institutional care are likely to
experience privation
 It has been found that young children
admitted to institutional care respond with
distress
The Effects of
Institutionalisation
Rutter et al (2007)
AIMS: Due to wars in Eastern Europe, many
children have been left homeless. Therefore, it
has enabled the opportunity to study the effects
of institutionalisation
PROCEDURES: Rutter, studied 100 Romanian
orphans and assessed at ages 4, 6 and 11 years
old
The Effects of
Institutionalisation
Rutter et al (2007)
FINDINGS: Children who were adopted by British families
before the age of 6 months have shown ‘normal’ emotional
development when compared with UK children adopted at
the same age. However, many of those Romanian orphans
adopted after 6 months showed disinhibited attachments.
CONCLUSIONS: This suggests that long-term consequences
may be less severe if children have the opportunity to form
attachments. However, when children remain in privation
(failure to form attachments) then the consequences are likely
to be severe.
Evaluation
Strengths:
 Longitudinal study – Children were
assessed at different ages and therefore it
is useful to gain an insight into the longterm effects of institutionalisation
Weaknesses:
 It could be other factors which may have
affected these children’s behaviours
 This is because 1/3 of the Romanian
orphans recovered well.
Hodges & Tizard (1989)
Go to this website and make notes on the
aims, procedures, findings, conclusions and
evaluation.
http://www.simplypsychology.pwp.blueyon
der.co.uk/privation.html