Children who have developed attachment disorder view physical touch as threatening, resulting in the child flinching away and eliciting a negative verbal reaction such as sounds of pain (saying ‘ouch’ or making another noise) or sounds of discomfort (laughter, whining).

Attachment Disorder: Aversion to Physical Touch 

Children can express overt and covert aggression. Aggression that is expressed directly is often in the form of yelling, screaming, tantrums, and hitting, and more covert aggression is passive-aggressive and is less dramatic or disruptive. 

Attachment Disorder: Anger/aggressive behavior

Children are defiant, disobedient, disagreeable, and argumentative to feel in control. 

Attachment Disorder: Control problems

Children may show an underdeveloped conscience by not expressing guilt, remorse, or improvement after doing something immoral/bad. 

Attachment Disorder: Underdeveloped conscience 

Children may express little to no interest in expressing or receiving affection from parents or direct caretakers but will, however, act affectionately with strangers and sometimes express that affection in inappropriate ways. 

Attachment Disorder: Difficulty with attention and affection

- Aversion to physical touch
- Anger/aggressive behavior
- Problems with control
- Underdeveloped conscience 
- Difficulty with affection/attention

Skidmore College

When an individual has significant difficulty in forming healthy emotional relationships, often following abuse. Individual might struggle with affect regulation, engage in aggressive/disruptive behavior, be socially withdrawn, and have an aversion to touch/physical affection. 

Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)

Behavioural consequences of child abuse. (2013). Canadian Family Physician, 59, 831–836.

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