Bowlby and the 44 juvenile thieves (classical evidence)

John Bowlby, a British psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, emphasised the importance of early relationships on the development of the psyche.
Bowlby proposed an Attachment Theory, where he suggested that a child’s early attachment patterns with their primary caregiver have significant effects on their behaviours and relationships later in life.
Bowlby’s main assertion was the need for security, which he proposed as a basic human need. He suggested that if a child’s need for security is not met, it can result in emotional disturbance and problematic behaviour.
His theories were heavily influenced by Freudian ideas, but he also drew from ethology, cognitive science, and developmental psychology.

To test his theory, Bowlby conducted a famous study often referred to as the study of “44 juvenile thieves”.
This study involved 44 adolescents who were referred to Bowlby because of their continual criminal behaviour. They were all characterised as thieves.
Each individual was studied intensively in terms of their developmental, family, and behavioural histories.
Bowlby found that the common theme among them was early childhood separation from their primary caregivers which had resulted in a disruption in the attachment process.

Bowlby referred to this separation and resulting negative impact on development as ‘Maternal Deprivation’.
He stressed that continuous, uninterrupted care is necessary for normal psychological development and that disruption in the attachment process can result in long-term cognitive, social, and emotional difficulties.
In Bowlby’s view, the 44 juvenile thieves’ problematic behaviour could be traced back to insufficient or interrupted attachment experiences in their early years.
This study is fundamental to psychodynamic approaches as it emphasised the critical nature of early relationships and their impact on individuals.

Despite the significance of this study in understanding criminal behaviour and the role of disrupted attachment, it attracted several critiques.
Many argued that Bowlby’s conclusions were based on a small, unrepresentative sample.
Critics also pointed out that Bowlby overlooked social, environmental, and educational factors that could have contributed to the juveniles’ behaviours.
Bowlby’s theory has influenced further ideas and developments in Psychodynamic psychology, cementing the importance of understanding early relationships in relation to human behaviour and development. Despite the noted criticisms, the concept of attachment has remained influence.