What is the difference between bonding and attachment as it relates to adoption?

Question

This is in response to the answers posted to an earlier question. Is there a difference between the two, or is it a matter of semantics?

Answer 1

In my opinion, bonding refers to the relationship between an infant and the parental figures that care for it.

Attachment is something developed by an older child.

But these are PURELY my opinions.  I would suppose that it is all just semantics.

Answer 2

No, there is not.

Not sure why anyone wants to pretend that there is.

The assertion that adoptive families do not bond is quite odd and wholly inaccurate.

Both attachment and bonding happen in adoption.

Answer 3

every major association of mental health treatment has spoke out against attachment therapy and all this attachment c**p

links about attachment therapy

http://www.commonplacesketchbook.com/chi...

http://childtorture.wordpress.com/

it is a tool used to hurt foster and adopted children and a way government money is used to abuse children....

please don't buy into it

Answer 4

I don't think that anyone can really put into words what the difference is.

For each person - it would be different.

I know since having my own 3 girls (bio) that the bond between mother and child feels quite incredible.

I also know that I had an amazing bond/attachment (whatever you want to call it) with my a-mum.

I think there is a difference between the two - but to write that in words - I couldn't begin to do it justice.

I know that the need for me to know the people that I am genetically linked to is an organic one. It's this ingrained NEED in me. A type of yearning.

My bond with my a-parents was a learned one - and that formed exceptionally well because they loved and cared for me with everything in them.

One does not lesson the other - for me.

No better. No worse.

They are just different.  

Answer 5

I think WIKI has some good outlines of descriptions that expand on this more than I realized was possible.

maternal bonding

paternal bonding

attachment bonding ie affectional bonding

all different kinds of bonding that happen in the category of human bonding.

Yes, I believe it is different and not the same thing.

However, i'm not inclined to believe everything I read on that page, but it still outlines the differences in bonding imo.

and there is also some good stuff on attachment theories too, which imo makes the differences clear.

Answer 6

Bonding is already there, like blue eyes or left handedness.

Attachment evolves over time.  In the case of adoptees--dependence creates attachment.

I mean what choice do we have?