The Developmental Implications of Parentification: Effects ...

Graduate Student Journal of Psychology Copyright 2012 by the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology 2012, Vol. 14 Teachers College, Columbia University The Developmental Implications of Parentification: Effects on Childhood attachment Jennifer A. Engelhardt Teachers College, Columbia University Parentification refers to the process through which children are assigned the role of an adult, taking on both emotional and functional responsibilities that typically are performed by the parent. The parent, in turn, takes the dependent position of the child in the parent-child relationship. Although a small degree of parentification can be beneficial to child development, this process can become pathological when the tasks become too burdensome or when the child feels obligated to take on the role of adult. The purpose of this review is to examine the current literature concerning the Effects of parentification on child attachment and the Implications this may have for the present and future well-being of a child.

the caregiver, emotional parentification disrupts the development of secure attachment. The consequent formation of insecure attachments to primary caregivers, particularly the mother, results in interpersonal deficits in the child that can carry on into adulthood. The term “parentification” was first utilized in depth by

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  Attachment, Secure, Secure attachment

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