Attachment and socialization of siblings in Hungarian residential care: An ethnographic study

Several factors and actors influence the early socialization and attachment of children and adolescents living in residential care institutions. This study explores the dynamics of socialization and attachment patterns in a Hungarian residential care institution through the perceptions of young members of three sibling groups and their caregivers.

The study builds on comprehensive and rigorous ethnographic research conducted with children (7) and their caregivers (5) employing a mixed-method approach, including observations, interviews, and informal conversations, supplemented with data from children’s personal files. By discerning key actors—parents, siblings, close friends within and outside the institution, caregivers, and school staff—the study provides insights into a still somewhat invisible ecosystem.

The results show that caregivers take on various parental roles and functions, acting as a bridge between children, their families, and schools. Sibling relationships demonstrated both strong and weak attachment patterns, strongly correlating with family backgrounds. Close friends within the institution primarily serve as playmates or gang peers, while those outside the institution offer a crucial link to the ‘outside world,’ potentially modeling healthy and well-functioning family relationships. School also serves as a connection to the external world but simultaneously presents challenges related to success and failure.

The findings highlight the importance of recognizing and strengthening caregiver and sibling bonds as protective factors, fostering high-quality connections with the outside world, and ensuring targeted training for caregivers and school staff to effectively support these relationships.