ABSTRACT

In this chapter, the author argues that the application of Fairbairn's thought to the field of child welfare is a tribute to the contribution he has made to social work and related fields. Abused children have widely different reactions to strangers. Some children have been so neglected for human warmth and compassion that they immediately latch on to any caregiving adult. This kind of indiscriminate attachment is actually a clue to the child's naiveté about appropriate intimacy. The natural language of the child is drama, not speech. While "acting out" has been given a negative connotation, it is for all children their primary language. Outcome evaluation should be done for both the child victim and the adult caregivers. The scales chosen will, in part, depend on whether the country takes a child protective or family service orientation. Fairbairn's object relations theory has had important ramifications for child welfare workers in both the United Kingdom and the United States.