Handling Hitting, Biting, and Aggression

Aggression in young children.

Stay in a preschool for more than a few hours, and one can observe a child getting injured by a peer or hear loud cries of agony. Then (hopefully), you will see a concerned adult immediately running towards the aid of the injured child and then being firm on the perpetrator. Welcome to a normal day in kindergarten.

In this article, some observable factors as to why a child displays violent behaviours will be discussed, then some other underlying reasons are also stated, and finally, suggestions for parents or teachers to deal with these situations will be provided.

To kick things off, here are three reasons why violent behaviour is happening: The environment, the inability to speak, and imitation.

How does the environment affect aggression?

The environment affects the types of aggression children show, particularly biting, and adults need to see beyond the behaviour to understand the reason behind it, usually caused by an unfamiliar environment with challenges, as children attempt to interact with each other (Piazzaroli & Fiamenghi-Jr, 2018). A child might get frustrated at a peer’s action, or he might be struggling on his first day of school. If the root issue is not resolved, aggression will definitely happen again.

Children are still learning to speak

From the moment they are born until they are almost four years old, children will display reactions based on whether they like or dislike an environment, because they use fewer words and more gestures, possibly violent ones, to get what they want, such as owning a space, having a toy, or getting an adult’s attention (Piazzaroli & Fiamenghi-Jr, 2018). While adults should teach children to use language to get what they want, before they can use words, adults should be vigilant and observant in the classroom. They have to understand triggers before they happen and set up a learning environment that ensures such incidents will not occur, such as providing plenty of learning materials.

Children will learn anything

Children will repeat behaviour in school based on what they learned at home, but the most crucial aspect is that adults mediating during conflicts can help children understand that there are other ways to respond, particularly in providing situations for children to learn how to respond (Piazzaroli & Fiamenghi-Jr, 2018). Teachers and parents can create false situations and get children to problem-solve, to pre-empt them on positive or negative behaviours before they occur. Similarly, they can also learn appropriate responses to prevent other peers from hurting them.

Other reasons for aggression in young children

Although there are also some underlying reasons that aggression occurs more frequently, this proves that children are not as simple as adults may think they are.

Children with mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder, can be very aggressive on one hand or only aggressive when triggered, while children with psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia are triggered by internal reasons because of fear and display violence towards others (Silva, 2025). These mood disorders can cause a child to switch in emotions, and they have consistent emotions and thoughts that are difficult to handle, which need early medical attention to improve their life in the future (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 2026).

Even children with cognition or communication problems will lash out when they are unable to communicate their needs and emotions, whereas for impulsivity like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), these children are not aware of their actions and may hurt others unknowingly, and for those with conduct disorder are deliberately hurting others and require certain treatments (Silva, 2025). Both ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) are mental disorders that can cause a child to display violence more often, and they need therapy to help cope with these symptoms.

Injury and trauma are also reasons for aggression, because when the frontal lobe is damaged or when a child has epilepsy, aggression can occur at any time, whereas trauma occurs when a child recalls stressors in the situation, and they need help if aggression persists (Silva, 2025). Compared to mental disorders, a physical injury or traumatic event is more obvious in understanding how or why a child reacts in a certain manner.

How to deal with aggressive behaviour?

Lastly, here are some suggestions on how to deal with a child who displays violent behaviour.

Discipline is not punishment, but punishment is just a form of discipline, and there are five steps teachers can respond to bad behaviour: Firstly, teachers have to understand their influence on behaviour, secondly, teachers need to be assertive, thirdly, teachers need a discipline plan with written rules and consequences, fourthly, teachers help children to reach the plan, and fifthly, teachers guide children on appropriate behaviour (Martella, Nelson, Marchand-Martella, & O'Reilly, 2012). It is often said that prevention is better than cure, and while not every behaviour can be analysed as discussed above, it is wise for teachers to have a clear understanding of child behaviour and to pre-empt incidents from happening.

If an incident were to happen, the goal is to ensure it does not happen again, by understanding the root of the issue because when a child is angry they are no longer thinking, so a timeout will not work but may encourage the behaviour to reoccur, so an adult should help the child to regulate emotions as he displays aggression because he is hurting, then when the child is calm the adult can use reasoning to explain other alternatives than hitting someone (Markham, 2013). During the heat of the moment, an adult may feel it is necessary to punish the child who hurt someone; moreover, it is the adult’s responsibility in that setting. However, the wrong actions could lead to a spiral of negative behaviour.

Therefore, these are the possible reasons for aggression to occur in young children, and there are some steps an educator or parent can take.

 

References

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. (2026). Mood Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Retrieved from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: https://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/mood-disorders-children-and-adolescents

Markham, L. (10 June, 2013). When Your Child Hits Your Other Child. Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/peaceful-parents-happy-kids/201306/when-your-child-hits-your-other-child

Martella, R. C., Nelson, J. R., Marchand-Martella, N. E., & O'Reilly, M. (2012). Comprehensive behavior management: Individualized, classroom, and schoolwide approaches. Los Angeles: Sage.

Piazzaroli, R. F., & Fiamenghi-Jr, G. A. (2018). Why Do Children Bite Each Other? American Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 3(1), 48-54. doi:10.20448/801.31.48.54

Silva, R. (30 January, 2025). What Are Some of the Causes of Aggression in Children? Retrieved from Child Mind Institute: https://childmind.org/article/aggression-in-children-causes/

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What to Say (and Not Say) During Challenging Behaviour

Positive and negative reinforcement.

Sometimes it is not what an adult says but how they say something that matters. The more an adult wants to stop a child’s tantrum, the more the tantrum could escalate even further, and so it is important to understand what not to do (Hershberg, 2024).

Firstly, here are the things adults should do when faced with a child having the biggest tantrum, namely, positive language and positive reinforcement.

Use positive language

Positive language is a great discipline strategy, and adults showcase warmth and care towards students when they use it directly, allowing children to learn actively and stay engaged, while also communicating rules and boundaries clearly, and reinforcing existing positive behaviours (Responsive Classroom, 2024). A parent can commend on a child being neat or doing his homework promptly without reminders. This can reinforce a desirable behaviour.

Use positive reinforcement

Reinforcement is about reinforcing a behaviour through giving or removing something, so positive reinforcement is to add rewards or praise to encourage a child to repeat a desired behaviour, and teachers should focus on the positive to motivate children, so they know that doing well is rewarding, rather than knowing the negative effects of misbehaviour (Martella, Nelson, Marchand-Martella, & O'Reilly, 2012). What someone focuses on will indeed grow, so rather than feel frustrated over the negative behaviour, it is better and easier to celebrate the positive.

Praise is a common positive reinforcement technique, and it can increase a child’s intrinsic motivation, helping the child to gain a sense of competence (Sutherland, Wehby, & Copeland, 2016). Praise has to be specific, helping the child to understand exactly what he or she is being praised for.

Secondly, here are the things adults should never do, namely, focusing only on the negative and undermining a child.

Never focus on the negative

When teachers focus only on negative behaviours, they reinforce such disruptive behaviours (Mundschenk, Miner, & Nastally, 2011). In every school, there is a teacher who seems to be angry or fierce all the time, and these teachers are both feared and revered by adults and children alike. However, how often do their techniques work? To children, bad attention is better than no attention, and thus, even if they can behave at their best when disciplinary teachers are around, difficult children quickly go back to their normal states when they are gone.

Never undermine a child

It is easy to undermine a child’s reactions to trivialise their emotions, but adults should respond to tantrums seriously and honestly to teach them that even difficult emotions are part of life and learn to cope with them (Hershberg, 2024). Adults have countless years of experience, and just like how it is unreasonable to expect a newbie at the job to learn everything quickly, children need the time to grow and develop, to understand themselves and others.

Therefore, whether it is teachers or parents, the spiral towards deep resentment and disappointment is easy to fall into when it comes to taking care of young children. Sometimes it is better to take a step back, try to see the child’s positive side and emphasise it through positive reinforcement, understand the child is still learning, and will someday display the appropriate behaviour with the proper guidance.

References

Hershberg, R. S. (15 August, 2024). What NOT to Do When Your Child Is Having a Tantrum: Tips on responding to difficult toddler behavior. Retrieved from Child Mind Institute: https://childmind.org/article/what-not-to-do-when-your-child-is-having-a-tantrum/

Martella, R. C., Nelson, J. R., Marchand-Martella, N. E., & O'Reilly, M. (2012). Comprehensive behavior management: Individualized, classroom, and schoolwide approaches. Los Angeles: Sage.

Mundschenk, N. A., Miner, C. A., & Nastally, B. L. (2011). Effective Classroom Management: An Air Traffic Control Analogy. Intervention in School and Clinic, 47(2), 98-103. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451211414190

Responsive Classroom. (9 October, 2024). Want Positive Behavior? Use Positive Language. Retrieved from Responsive Classroom: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/want-positive-behavior-use-positive-language/

Sutherland, K. S., Wehby, J. H., & Copeland, S. R. (13 September, 2016). Effect of Varying Rates of Behavior-Specific Praise on the On-Task Behavior of Students with EBD. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 8(1), 2-8. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/106342660000800101

 

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The Brain Behind Big Emotions

The Brain Behind Big Emotions.

What happens when a child is having a tantrum? An adult’s actions could determine whether the child goes back to normal or continues making a fuss in public.

They need you

Children and toddlers are not yet able to self-regulate, and so adults need to be present to guide them, because the skill to calm themselves down only starts after three years old (Briggs, 2024). It is common for adults to feel frustrated when a child does not understand what they should be doing. But, children are still developing and thus adults need to be realistic about what they can or cannot do at the moment.

You are the role model

Adults need to have the skill to self-regulate and be a role model so they can guide a child, so when a child displays tantrums, adults stay calm and use techniques such as setting proper expectations, understanding the child’s emotions, speaking less, teaching self-soothing, or even having a break (Briggs, 2024). During a child’s tantrums, it is tempting to reason about what he or she should or should not be doing. But this can cause the child not to learn how to self-regulate.

When the tantrum stops, reasoning starts

The Arc of the Tantrum states five zones that a child goes through during a tantrum: Normal, escalation, dysregulation zone, calming down, and back to normal (Parenthood Understood, 2026). This is a useful tool for teachers and parents to understand how to guide a child’s behaviour. Sometimes the best method is to give the child some space when the child is triggered.

The brain's primal response

A trigger typically leads a child from normal to escalation, which starts the tantrum and when the tantrum reaches the peak, it is called the dysregulation zone, and the child’s brain enters a “flight-fight-freeze” state, though they will naturally calm down on their own and finally be back to normal (Parenthood Understood, 2026). When a human feels that they are in danger, the brain gives an automatic and primal response, be it to fight, flee, or freeze, because the brain wants to protect them, though this may be an overreaction because not every threat is life-threatening (Baker, 2008). It is therefore important that adults understand that the child needs help. Allow the child to calm down and reach a normal state, because the tantrum could escalate again, then talk to him or her to guide their behaviour.

Consistency is key

A great parenting tip is for parents to always begin with consistent rules and consequences, as children need structure to manage their behaviour, and rules can set boundaries, while consequences offer rewards and punishments for the rules (Baker, 2008). If a mother shows that rules can be broken simply because she is tired or wants to be nice, a child will get confused as to the correct behaviour. If a behaviour is unacceptable, it is unacceptable regardless of the situation.

Focus on the child

But there are times when rewards and punishments fail to work with a rowdy child, and sometimes adults need to let go of the concept of whether the behaviour is intentional and instead focus on changing the triggers or guide the child to deal with the triggers (Baker, 2008). If the child refuses to do his homework, try to understand why. Did the child get laughed at in school? Or does the child feel inadequate in dealing with failure? If so, comfort him or her and do not scold for not doing the task.

Therefore, as teachers or parents, they have to be calm and capable of self-regulation. Take the time to understand the child’s behaviour and give space for the child to calm down before using reason. The child is still learning about self-regulation and may not be intentional with the “bad behaviour”. Lastly, adults should always ensure their rules are consistent.

References

Baker, J. (2008). No more meltdowns: Positive strategies for dealing with and preventing out-of-control behavior. United States of America: Future Horizons.

Briggs, R. D. (15 July, 2024). Adult Coregulation Leads to Child Self-Regulation. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/on-babies/202407/adult-coregulation-leads-to-child-self-regulation

Parenthood Understood. (2026). The Arc of the Tantrum – Resources. Parenthood Understood. Retrieved from https://parenthoodunderstood.com/blog/2018/09/17/the-arc-of-the-tantrum-resources/

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Why Young Children “Misbehave”

Why Young Children “Misbehave”

Your child is not giving you a hard time; they are having a hard time.

What is behaviour?

Firstly, we need to understand what behaviour is, whether it is positive or negative. Your child is trying to communicate with you, just not in words that you would have liked. During your child’s seemingly endless meltdowns and tantrums, look beyond the screaming or kicking, and try to understand why this behaviour is happening. What emotions is your child going through right now?

What is emotional development?

Emotional development is about emotions, responses, and communicating through behaviours, and because children use behaviour to communicate, they need adults to help them regulate their emotions by being affirmative and calm, and sometimes adults need to change themselves before expecting children to change (Children First, 2026). Children lack the skills to tell you what they need and want, so as an adult, you are responsible for deciphering their behaviours.

Children are still developing

Secondly, we have to understand that children are still developing. They are learning things that adults have themselves taken many years to master, such as impulse control, language, and emotions. Admittedly, there are moments in our lives when we do not have everything in control, what more our young children? Parents and teachers can work together to guide children.

Adults' role in behavioural management

Teachers have to understand their roles in behavioural management, find out the reasons behind behaviours, understand that children are still developing, learning is complicated, but most importantly, to switch mindsets from misbehaviour to mistaken behaviour, and to use a positive approach (Gartrell, 1995). Traditional methods of teaching state that teachers are the ones teaching children and children are the ones learning, but contemporary approaches towards early childhood education disagree.

Traditional discipline uses punishment when children face difficult problems, which leads to reducing children’s self-esteem and negative emotions, whereas guidance provides positive alternatives for children to learn problem-solving in socially acceptable manners (Gartrell, 1995). The teacher has to guide the child positively on appropriate behaviour, never to punish because it will lead to dire consequences.

Stubborn behaviour? Or mistaken behaviour?

Thirdly, there is also the idea of mistaken behaviour. Children’s behaviour has any of these four reasons behind it: seeking attention, seeking power, seeking revenge, and showing incompetence, and they all aim to have social acceptance (Gartrell, 1995). At the end of the day, if the basic needs of a child are met, the negative behaviour should stop. If a parent were to shout at a child in a public place, it is inevitable that the child throws a tantrum and makes a big scene.

There are also three levels of mistaken behaviour: Strong-needs is at level three, socially influenced is at level two, and experimentation is at level one. Strong-needs refers to the most serious stage because the child, when he or she has psychological or physical pain and displays certain behaviours in a safe environment, and as for socially influenced, which is about the child learning from peers or adults in terms of actions or speech, and experimentation is when a child is still learning about the world around him or her by engaging with it (Gartrell, 1995). It is up to the discretion of the teacher to understand that the first two levels are merely imitation or exploration, and such behaviours can be guided. But the third level means a deeper level of understanding is required.

Role of the teacher

The role of the teacher is to set boundaries through leadership, and when teachers punish misbehaviour, hoping to bring positive change, it actually creates negative emotions within children, as they believe they are bad and hence their behaviour will display such thoughts (Gartrell, 1995). Being a parent or preschool teacher is never easy, and more often than not, they may lose their patience during behavioural management. However, it is important that during such moments, adults are still nurturing and positive towards the young children in order to guide them appropriately.

 

References

Children First. (2026). Children's behaviour and feelings: Emotional development in children. Retrieved from Children First: https://www.childrenfirst.org.uk/get-support/advice-for-families/guidance-advice/articles/behaviour-and-feelings/

Gartrell, D. (1995). Misbehavior or Mistaken Behavior? NAEYC, 50(5), 27-34. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/42727062

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Working with Young Children

Working with young children.

Being a parent involves juggling many balls at once, and none of these balls can hit the ground. In the United States, there is an increase of working mothers driven by politics and economic pressures, with a 75% of mothers with preschool children, and there is feedback that what benefits them most is paid parental leave and flexible work arrangements, and studies have shown that married mothers with children are the happiest demographic within women, and lastly mothers gain most help from family than other communities (Wang & Erickson, 2025). It takes a village to raise a child, and also to support the parents. But being a mother is what provides women with joy and satisfaction.

Development in children

As a toddler develops into a preschooler, he or she will experience physical, cognitive, and language changes, which include brain development, fine and gross motor skills (Santrock, 2019). It is fascinating to see how quickly an infant can grow and develop into a young child, and into a teenager, and eventually an adult. Parents often comment that time flies when they take care of their children.

Choosing the right school

It is never easy to raise a child, and school teachers feel the same way. A child goes to school, but there are different approaches, such as the Reggio Emilia or the Montessori Approach (Santrock, 2019). Parents will have to be prudent and wise in choosing the correct school. The school that is chosen will be determined by many factors, such as finances or expectations. Some schools are more academically-driven, more play-based, or that teach values and cultures.

Regardless, being a parent is a joyful and rewarding experience, and they bring so much joy not just to parents but to teachers.

 

References

Santrock, J. W. (2019). Life-Span Development: Seventeenth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

Wang, W., & Erickson, J. (November, 2025). More Married Mothers of Young Children Are Working Full Time. Institute for Family Studies. Retrieved from https://ifstudies.org/report-brief/more-married-mothers-of-young-children-are-working-full-time

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Assimilation and Accommodation

Assimilation and Accommodation.

We learn new things every day, and children learn them at an exponential rate, too. But learning is a complicated process for young children, and we as adults and educators need to have more patience with them. For this article, two such learning concepts will be introduced, namely assimilation and accommodation.

What is assimilation?

This is a process introduced by Jean Piaget, and assimilation is about fitting new information into what we already understand about the world (Cherry, 2025). For instance, if you know what a bird looks like and you come across a penguin, you understand that it is still a bird because it has wings and lays eggs. It is like adding a new book to an old shelf, so teachers can reinforce prior knowledge by providing hands-on activities (Structural Learning, 2026).

What is accommodation?

Whereas accommodation is about changing what we already understand about the world, because we are learning something new (Cherry, 2025). So, if you realise that penguins do not fly but swim, this changes your understanding of birds. Some birds fly, some birds swim, some birds walk. It is like building a new shelf when the old shelf is unable to hold a new book, so teachers can have children work in small groups for each of them to understand different points of view (Structural Learning, 2026).

These concepts form Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, while Baldwin believes that assimilation is about object recognition, and these concepts are useful in martial arts (Hanfstingl, Arzenšek, Apschner, & Gölly, 2022). Then, when both assimilation and accommodation are well-balanced, it is called equilibration (Cherry, 2025). We use both concepts interchangeably to help us make sense of the world around us.

Role of teachers

Teachers should be culturally sensitive and never assume that children know everything, particularly about cultural learning, because certain children from unique backgrounds may need more accommodation to change their current understanding of concepts to learn new knowledge, and hence some learners may appear slow, but they may just be suffering from overwhelming accommodation (Structural Learning, 2026). Hence, it is a good idea to pair children from various diverse backgrounds together, so they can learn from each other.

Even though we are adults, we also struggle with equilibration. We think we know and understand everything, but when something or someone different appears in our lives, we struggle to make sense of everything. But this is perfectly normal, and eventually we form a deeper understanding of the world around us, just as the world continues to learn about us.

References

Cherry, K. (29 October, 2025). How Assimilation in Psychology Helps You: The Importance of Assimilation in Adaptation and Learning. Retrieved from Verywell Mind: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-assimilation-2794821

Hanfstingl, B., Arzenšek, A., Apschner, J., & Gölly, K. I. (26 November, 2022). Assimilation and Accommodation. European Psychologist, 27(4), 320-337. doi:https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000463

Structural Learning. (23 January, 2026). Assimilation vs Accommodation. Retrieved from Structural Learning: https://www.structural-learning.com/post/assimilation-vs-accommodation

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Children's Development in Writing and Spelling

How do children develop in writing? This article will include two figures from two separate sources that are accurate in understanding how your child achieves certain milestones in writing.

Writing development

Figure 1

Developmental Stages of Writing

Developmental Stages of Writing.

Note. Adapted from *Stages of Writing Development*, by West Hartford Public Schools, 2010

(https://www.whps.org/uploaded/Offices/Curriculum_Instruction_and_Assessment/Families_-_Academics/Stages_of_Writing_Development.pdf).

 

As is clear in Figure 1, children’s scribbles have meaning. A child can develop from Pre-Literate to Fluent, the older preschoolers should be able to reach basic Sentence Writing (West Hartford Public Schools, 2010).

Spelling development

Figure 2

Spelling Stages

Spelling Stages.

Note. Reprinted/adapted from “Spelling Stages,” by Literacy Today, 2025,

https://www.literacytoday.ca/home/writingproduction/writingproduction-process/spelling-stages. Reprinted/adapted with permission.

 

Whereas Figure 2, it is a more detailed look at how children learn spelling.

Hence, the teacher’s role is to provide many opportunities and provide the learning environment, and incorporate visual patterns of words during daily lessons and have a bank of words for children to follow (Literacy Today, 2025).

References

Literacy Today. (2025). Spelling Stages. Retrieved from Literacy Today: https://www.literacytoday.ca/home/writingproduction/writingproduction-process/spelling-stages

West Hartford Public Schools. (2010). Developmental Stages of Writing [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www.whps.org/uploaded/Offices/Curriculum_Instruction_and_Assessment/Families_-_Academics/Stages_of_Writing_Development.pdf

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The Child Custody Case of Renee Good

Renee Good.

It is a difficult situation when a child loses his or her parents, and this recent case that happened in the United States brought widespread news across the world. In this article, it can be seen that no matter the severity of a family crisis, the ones who are unable to fend for themselves are our young children.

Who is Renee Nicole Good?

Renee Nicole Good was a 37-year-old woman who had three children and was unfortunately shot by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis, but she has been branded as a domestic terrorist, though her mother claimed that she was a kind person (Wertheimer, 2026). She was shot while driving her car by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, and there were claims that she tried to run over federal agents with her car, though her family and friends deny such claims, even her ex-husband stated that she was not an activist, with local officials believing the self-defense proposition was false as there was footage of the ICE officers demanding she open the car door before firing into the vehicle (Bisecker, Mustian, & Dell'orto, 2026).

Renee had two children with her first husband, a son with her second husband, and was married to a woman named Rebecca Good with her son, though there were claims by the White House officials that Renee had tried to cause harm to an ICE agent, had interrupted the officers’ work, and the agent shot her recklessly (Wertheimer, 2026). There seems to be a conflicting set of opinions when it comes to understanding the reason why Renee was shot.

What will happen to her children?

She was killed by Jonathan Ross, an ICE agent, and since then, there have been widespread worries about her children (Verma, 2026), more specifically, the custody of her children, as her youngest child is her son, who is only six years old, and his father, Timmy Ray Macklin Jr., had passed away in 2023, and now with Renee gone, nobody else could take care of the boy (Deb, 2026). While the ideal family situation is with both parents, if there is a competent adult to take care of the boy, he should be able to grow and develop healthily. Though his family and teachers would need to pay special care and attention to him, knowing his difficult background.

 

References

Bisecker, M., Mustian, J., & Dell'orto, G. (9 January, 2026). Family and neighbors mourn woman who was shot by ICE agent and made Minneapolis home. The Associated Press. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5

Deb, P. (January, 2026). Did Renee Nicole Good lose custody of her children after the Minneapolis shooting? What we know. MSN. Retrieved from https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/did-renee-nicole-good-lose-custody-of-her-children-after-minneapolis-shooting-what-we-know/ar-AA1U2gAA

Verma, J. (12 January, 2026). After Renee Nicole Good’s killing by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, who has custody of her three children? WION. Retrieved from https://www.wionews.com/world/after-renee-nicole-good-s-killing-by-ice-agent-in-minneapolis-who-has-custody-of-her-three-children-1768218582237

Wertheimer, T. (13 January, 2026). Who was Renee Nicole Good, the woman killed by ICE? BBC. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1jepdjy256o

 

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Attachment Styles

Attachment styles.

We have seen it happen many times. A child crying at the door to the school or classroom, refusing to go in or leave their parent. We call this phenomenon separation anxiety. But to see a child crying may be a positive sign; it shows the child has a secure attachment style to the parent.

What is the attachment theory?

The attachment theory focuses on the importance of safe and secure caregivers to individuals, and as they move to different stages of life, these relationships continue to transform, and a strong attachment empowers them to confidently approach the environment, deal with stress, and promote strength and growth (McLeod, 2025). Thus, a child will be comfortable being in the classroom when the parent is around, even daring to explore the learning environment. But the moment the parent leaves, the child may start to cry.

The four attachment styles

Bowlby describes attachment styles as the following: Secure, anxious, avoidant, and fearful. A child with a secure attachment has a positive relationship with the caregiver, and will interact with them more than with strangers, whereas a child with an anxious attachment is uncertain of the caregiver’s unpredictable responses, while a child with an avoidant attachment will avoid any interaction with the caregiver, and lastly a child with a fearful or disorganised attachment may turn to a stranger for comfort. (McLeod, 2025).

The attachment style also affects how the child grows and develops. Studies have shown that children with abuse or neglect show antisocial behaviour even when they are adolescents, with drug usage being a common factor in child abuse cases, where abused children show more acts of aggression towards others, whereas children with secure attachments show little fear in new situations, have better problem-solving skills, build better relationships with others, and have better cognition (Finzi, Cohen, Sapir, & Weizman, 2000). These support figures help crying children to become stable, and it is the caregivers who offer the best responses, rather than the time spent with the children, that the children themselves form strong attachments towards (McLeod, 2025).

Most of the physically abused children tend to have avoidant attachment styles and are at risk of antisocial behaviour, and may face challenges in trusting others, whereas most of the neglected children have an anxious attachment style, and may withdraw and feel incompetent about themselves (Finzi, Cohen, Sapir, & Weizman, 2000). Hence, early childhood is not just a phase of life; it is the foundation of an individual.

References

Finzi, R., Cohen, O., Sapir, Y., & Weizman, A. (December, 2000). Attachment Styles in Maltreated Children: A Comparative Study. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 31(2), 113-128. doi:https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1001944509409

McLeod, S. (20 May, 2025). Attachment Theory In Psychology. Retrieved from Simply Psychology: https://www.simplypsychology.org/attachment.html

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