Sex Differences in the Aetiology of Antisocial Disorders in Children in Long Term Residential Care

Abstract

One of the most important contributions of child psychiatry to the general raising of standards of child care has been the identification of various abnormal life experiences which appear to be harmful to healthy emotional development. Two outstanding contributions, the descriptions of ‘institutionalization’ (Goldfarb, 1944; Bender and Yarnell, 1941) and ‘maternal deprivation’ (Bowlby, 1951) have had considerable impact on the organization of children's homes and the setting up of services designed to prevent family breakdown.