ABSTRACT
What are the antecedents to the problems we face today? The theories of Bowlby, Anna Freud and Winnicott were greatly affected by their 1930s’ and 40s’ wartime experiences of working with evacuated children. The recognition of the widespread nature of physical and sexual abuse in the 1970s and 80s led to changes in child protection measures, which resulted in current social policy. Developmental psychology, neuroscientific and clinical research have contributed to the psychotherapeutic treatment of these children since the 1980s. The importance of trying to limit the intergenerational transmission of neglect and trauma is addressed through parent–infant psychotherapy.
