Child development starts when the child is born and ends when they become an adolescent. One of the main aspects of child development is emotional development.

Having secure emotional attachments directly affects the later development of emotions and personality. Forming a secure foundation supports growth in children who are becoming adolescents. 

According to John Bowlby and his Attachment Theory, “Children aged 6-30 months are extremely likely to form secure emotional attachments to familiar caregivers.”

There are traumatizing events that could negatively impact and scar a child’s emotional attachment. The effects of attachment trauma could cause a significant lack of sensitivity or inability to be responsive when interacting with others when becoming an adult. 

The American Bar Association further studied and showed the effects of neglect for a child’s future results in lack of confidence, assertiveness, lowered enthusiasm, poor impulse control, etc. Various mental illnesses could emerge later on in life because of the trauma a child has faced.

Neglect of a child causes disfigurement in the structure and functioning in the brain and how it grows. According to the American Bar Association, “These [neglected] children also show decreased brain metabolism and poorer connections among different parts of the brain essential for cognitive, emotional, and social competence.”

There is certainly further research that is being conducted daily. Child development has been proven to be a crucial part of children’s lives. There are new theories and experiments that are coming up and will be presented to the public.

The effects of child development in regards to emotional development are greater than expected. The facts are not expressed to the public and should be a larger topic of conversation. Environment that children grow up in severely affects their development.