Psychological theories focus on the instinctive and psychological qualities of those who abuse. It is abnormalities that the individual abuser is responsible for abuse, for example, abusive parents may themselves have been abuse in childhood (Corby 2000).
Attachment theory comes from the work of Bowlby (1951) who carried out research into the nature and effects of maternal lack on young children. He theorized that any significant separation of a child from the mother in the first five years of life could lead to a variety of psychological and social difficulties in later life since proper bonding and attachment to the mother was crucial if a child was to benefit from physical protection and psychological security. Until the mid 1980s, attachment
Attachment theory comes from the work of Bowlby (1951) who carried out research into the nature and effects of maternal lack on young children. He theorized that any significant separation of a child from the mother in the first five years of life could lead to a variety of psychological and social difficulties in later life since proper bonding and attachment to the mother was crucial if a child was to benefit from physical protection and psychological security. Until the mid 1980s, attachment