Attachment Theory and Offending Behaviour

In work with children, young people and their families, instilling knowledge and understanding of attachment theory has become the cornerstone of training and development for practitioners. However, as Aldgate notes “Attachment theory has been much used and abused in child care policy and practice” (2007: 57). This factsheet aims to review the core elements of attachment theory and to reflect on some of the emerging debates relating to brain development as they relate to offending behaviour by young people.