The Anna Freud Centre is a leading centre for research in child development. A particularly important focus for the Centre’s research is the role of attachment relationships in children’s social and emotional development.

Many child development researchers and clinicians believe that the establishment of secure attachment bonds between children and parents is vital for optimal social and emotional development.

Research at the Centre has played an important role in establishing the scientific basis of these claims. Our studies have demonstrated the long-term significance of attachment in childhood aggression for example, and have shown that attachment patterns are passed from one generation to the next. We have also conducted studies that have been instrumental in showing that attachment patterns in early life are not heritable, and are linked to the sensitivity of parental care.