Case Study - Social-Emotional Development of Children Kathryn first used drugs knowingly when she was 12 years old. Her mother and uncle influenced her behaviour. She was only 16 when her daughter Sophia was born. She tried to take care of her baby, but it was not easy. She never had enough money to pay for food and clothing, never mind the rent. Kathryn tried to stop using drugs but was unable to succeed. As time went by, the situation continued to deteriorate. Due to her mother's gross negligence, Sophia was placed in the care of the Children's Aid Society at age three. Because no one was there to provide for her needs, the little girl had multiple health issues. When the Children's Aid Society removed Sophia from her mother's care, the girl had a severe condition of dietary deficiency and dehydration. She could not clearly express herself verbally as her vocabulary was very limited. She was constantly screaming and throwing tantrums. The Children's Aid Society placed her in a foster home under the care of Samuel and Erika. The young couple was determined to help Sophia before the child was put up for adoption. At the beginning, the little girl was responsive to the TLC shown by her foster parents although she never expressed any kind of feelings towards them. The more Samuel and Erika tried to provide for her needs, the more Sophia demanded attention. The caregivers' reaction was to strive to satisfy and even to anticipate the little girl's every need. Sophia's temper tantrums diminished after a few months. She started to smile and make visual contact. A year later, her behaviour was completely different. She was now outgoing and happy. After two years in a foster home, Sophia was adopted. The Court of Justice in Ontario found that the girl's biological mother, Kathryn, was incapable of taking care of her child and that this was their final say. Her new parents, Caesar and Floriana were in a position to provide Sophia with a family structure conducive to her healthy development. Slightly more authoritative than Samuel and Erika, Sophia's new parents used a different set of parenting strategies. Sophia's transition into her new family was hard on her. She was emotionally attached to her foster parents. Her behaviour disconcerted her adoptive parents. Sophia resumed her fits of rage. She constantly demanded attention and had behavioural problems. She was aloof and would not let her new parents or her two new older sisters get close to her. She never expressed her needs and wanted to do everything on her own. Today, Sophia is 13 years old and is in 8th grade. She appreciates her adoptive family but still has difficulties in expressing her emotions. At school, Sophia has no social interactions whatsoever with her peers. She is often a victim of bullying because she still has issues with self-expression. She feels humiliated and steers away from the other students. She is also a victim of cyberbullying. Several of her peers regularly send her hostile text messages. They have commented, with the intention of embarrassing her, on some of her pictures posted in her social networks. At the school level, Sophia has serious learning disabilities and is helped by an educational assistant in class. Sophia also meets once a week with a speech therapist to try to alleviate her language disorder. 1. Consider Sophia's attachments in her early years. How will these attachments affect her social-emotional development? 2. Demonstrate your understanding of Sophia's case based on theoretical perspectives on attachment, social-emotional development, and temperament. Formulate your hypothesis, verify them, and draw your conclusions explaining Sophia's behaviour. 3. Why is it so important for parents to promote secure attachment in their children?