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6 OCTOBER 2008
NO 1356
Dependence support
Interaction implies a mutual dependence, and this reciprocity is the major process by which parent-child relationships develop. Dependence support is essential in all beginning relationships. Sensitive and effective response to the child's particular requirements in the initial phase of a relationship enhances the child's capacity for functioning. The caregiver, in turn, finds pleasure in the child's response, which validates the caregiver's competence in predicting the care required. The interactive process of the child's dependence and the caregiver's sense of power and satisfaction serve to strengthen their bonds. Caregiver and care receiver become dependent upon and interconnected with one another.
Recent research indicates that active nurturance of dependence leads to a child's readiness to independently engage in activities for which he or she may previously have demanded dependence support. For instance, children continuously assured of their caregivers' dependable presence, followed by predictable absence and return, will eventually not require expressed assurance of the caregiver's return. But children who have experienced uncertainty require "props" as explicit reassurances of a caretaker's return. It seems that previous fears of spoiling children with dependence nurturance or of encouraging a prolonged state of dependence may not be justified. In fact, a number of studies reveal that absence of dependence support creates greater havoc in a child's development than prolonged dependence. Furthermore, children who oppress their caregivers with severe demands for attention are often youngsters who have suffered from too little individualized attention and dependence support. These findings point to the necessity for altering our perspective on child caring and on social work intervention from a preoccupation with avoiding dependence to one of nurturing dependence.
HENRY W. MAIER
Maier, Henry W. (1987). Developmental Group Care
of Children and Youth: Concepts and Practice. New York. Haworth
Press. pp. 121-122.
