BURNING THEIR BRIDGES - DISORDERED ATTACHMENT AND FOSTER-CARE DISCHARGE

An ethnographic study of boys in residential treatment reports on a sm all subsample of older adolescents diagnosed with conduct disorder. At tachment theory and research inform the basis for analysis of the stud y's observations. Findings indicate that conduct-disordered out-of-hom e care drifters display exceptionally clear patterns of alienation in relation to transitions from placement to placement. Implications of t he findings for care and discharge planning are discussed.