ARCHIVED - Attachment – Connecting to Your Child During Adolescence

Attachment is the deep and lasting emotional connection that children form with those they depend upon for care. It describes the relationship between a child and parent, caregiver or other caring adult that develops and helps the child to feel safe, secure, and protected.

A strong parent-child relationship that allows for the secure attachment of children to parents from infancy through adolescence has been recognized as an important factor in raising healthy and well-adjusted children to adulthood. 

Most children and teens who have a close connection/relationship to their parents or another caring adult are able to manage difficult situations in healthy ways. They turn to parents when they are in danger or during times of stress and they feel supported to explore new experiences. Securely attached adolescents are also less likely to engage in substance abuse, antisocial and aggressive behaviour, and risky sexual activity. Being supportive to young people when they face issues that stress or worry them is helpful to their healthy development.

What information will I find here?

This section will take you to information and research material that explores the parent-child relationship and how the secure attachment of children to parents and other caring adults fits into healthy adolescent development. 

You may also be interested in:

• Resilience - Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development (External link)
• Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children
• Improving the Health of Canadians: Exploring Positive Mental Health (External link)
• Improving the Health of Canadians: Mental Health, Delinquency and Criminal Activity (External link)
• Joint Consortium for School Health: Mental Resilienc (PDF document - 492 KB - 18 pages)
• School Achievements of Canadian Boys and Girls in Early Adolescence: Link with Personal Attitudes and Parental and Teacher Support (External link)
• Victimization, Resilience and Meaning-Making: Moving Forward in Strength (External link)