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MONOGRAPHS IN PARENTING SERIES
M arc H. Bornstein, Se ries Editor
Borkowski, Ramey, and Bristol-Powers Parenting and the Child’s World: Influ-
ences on Academic, Intellectual, and Social-Emotional Development
Bornstein and Bradley Socioeconomic Status, Parenting, and Child Development
Kalil and DeLeire Family Investments in Children’s Potential Resources and
Behaviors That Promote Children’s Success
Cowan, Cowan, Ablow, Johnson, and Measelle The Family Context of Parent-
ing in Children’s Adaptation to Elementary School
Luster and Okagaki Parenting: An Ecological Perspective (2nd ed.)
Bornstein and Cote Acculturation and Parent-Child Relationships: Measure-
ment and Development
Juffer, Bakermans-Kranenburg, and Van IJzendoorn Promoting Positive Par-
enting: An Attachment-Based Intervention
Goldberg Father Time: The Timing of Fatherhood in Men’s Lives (In Preparation)
Bornstein The Parent: Essential Readings (In Preparation)
For more information on LEA title, please contact

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, at www.erlbaum.com
ER9416.indb 2 6/12/07 3:11:15 PM

EditEd By
Femmie Juffer
Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
New York London
ER9416.indb 3 6/12/07 3:11:15 PM

Cover illustration: Sculpture by Gustav Vigeland, The Vigeland Park, Oslo, Norway. © The Vigeland
Museum / Beeldrecht Amsterdam 2007
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

Taylor & Francis Group Taylor & Francis Group
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New York, NY 10016 Milton Park, Abingdon
Oxon OX14 4RN
© 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

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Printed in the United States of America on acid‑free paper

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No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic,
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and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the
publishers.
Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are
used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data
Juffer, F. (Femmie), 1950‑

Promoting positive parenting : an attachment‑based intervention / Femmie Juffer,
Marian J. Bakermans‑Kranenburg, and Marinus H. van IJzendoorn.
p. cm. ‑‑ (Monographs in parenting series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN‑13: 978‑0‑8058‑6352‑9 (alk. paper)
ISBN‑10: 0‑8058‑6352‑4 (alk. paper)
ISBN‑13: 978‑0‑8058‑6351‑2 (alk. paper)
ISBN‑10: 0‑8058‑6351‑6 (alk. paper)
1. Parenting. 2. Child rearing. I. Bakermans‑Kranenburg, Marian J. II. IJzendoorn,
Marinus H. van, 1952‑ III. Title.
HQ755.8.J84 2008
306.874087’4‑‑dc22 2007013604
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at

http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
ER9416.indb 4 6/12/07 3:11:15 PM

Contents
Series foreword vii

Preface ix
About the authors xi
About the editors xvii
Acknowledgments xix
1 Promoting positive parenting: An introduction 1
Femmie Juffer, Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg, and
2 Methods of the video-feedback programs to promote positive

parenting
alone, with sensitive discipline, and with representational
attachment discussions 11
Femmie Juffer, Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg, and
3 A case study and process evaluation of video feedback to promote

positive parenting alone and with representational attachment
discussions 23
Mariska Klein Velderman, Femmie Juffer, Marian J. Bakermans-
Kranenburg, and Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
4 Attachment-based interventions in early childhood: An overview 37

Femmie Juffer, Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, and
5 Less is more: Meta-analytic arguments for the use of sensitivity-

focused interventions 59
Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marinus H. van IJzendoorn,
and Femmie Juffer
ER9416.indb 5 6/12/07 3:11:15 PM

vi Contents
6 Insecure mothers with temperamentally reactive infants:

A chance for intervention 75
Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg, Philomeen Breddels-van
Baardewijk, Femmie Juffer, Mariska Klein Velderman, and
7 Supporting families with preterm children and children suffering

from dermatitis 91
Rosalinda Cassibba, Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, Gabrielle Coppola,
Simone Bruno, Alessandro Costantini, Sergio Gatto, Lucia Elia, and
Alessia Tota
8 Video-feedback intervention with mothers with postnatal eating

disorders and their infants 111
Helen Woolley, Leezah Hertzmann, and Alan Stein
9 Supporting adoptive families with video-feedback intervention 139

Femmie Juffer, Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, and Marian J.
Bakermans-Kranenburg
10 Increasing the sensitivity of childcare providers: Applying the

video-feedback intervention in a group care setting 155
James Elicker, Oana Georgescu, and Erin Bartsch
11 Extending the video-feedback intervention to sensitive discipline:

The early prevention of antisocial behavior 171
Judi Mesman, Mirjam N. Stolk, Jantien van Zeijl, Lenneke R. A.
Alink, Femmie Juffer, Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg,
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, and Hans M. Koot
12 Video-feedback intervention to promote positive parenting:

Evidence-based intervention for enhancing sensitivity and
security 193
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg,
and Femmie Juffer
References 203
Index 231
ER9416.indb 6 6/12/07 3:11:16 PM

Series foreword
Parenting is fundamental to the survival and success of the human race. Every-
one who has ever lived has had parents, and most adults in the world become
parents. Opinions about parenting abound, but surprisingly little solid scientific
information or considered reflection exists about parenting. Monographs in Par-
enting intends to redress this imbalance: The chief aim of this series of volumes
is to provide a forum for extended and integrated treatments of fundamental and
challenging contemporary topics in parenting. Each volume treats a different
perspective on parenting and is self-contained, yet the series as a whole endeav-
ors to enhance and interrelate studies in parenting by bringing shared perspec-
tives to bear on a variety of concerns prominent in parenting theory, research,
and application. As a consequence of its structure and scope, Monographs in Par-
enting will appeal, individually or as a group, to scientists, professionals, and par-
ents alike. Reflecting the nature and intent of this series, contributing authors
are drawn from a broad spectrum of the humanities and sciences — anthropol-
ogy to zoology — with representational emphasis placed on active contributing
authorities to the contemporary literature in parenting.
Parenting is a job whose primary object of attention and action is the child
— children do not and cannot grow up as solitary individuals — but parenting
is also a status in the life course with consequences for parents themselves. In
this forum, parenting is defined by all of children’s principal caregivers and their
many modes of caregiving. Monographs in Parenting encompasses central themes
in parenting …
Who parents?
Biological and adoptive mothers, fathers, single parents, divorced, and remarried
parents can be children’s principal caregivers, but when siblings, grandparents,
and nonfamilial caregivers mind children their “parenting” is pertinent as well.
ER9416.indb 7 6/12/07 3:11:16 PM

viii Series Foreword
Whom do parents parent?
Parents parent infants, toddlers, children in middle childhood, and adolescents,

but special populations of children include multiple births, preterm, ill, develop-
mentally delayed or talented, and aggressive or withdrawn children.
The scope of parenting
Parenting includes genetic endowment and direct effects of experience that

manifest themselves through parents’ beliefs and behaviors; parenting’s indirect
influences take place through parents’ relationships with each other and their
connections to community networks; the positive and negative effects of parent-
ing are both topics of concern.
Factors that affect parenting
Evolution and history; biology and ethology; family configuration; formal and infor-
mal support systems, community ties, and work; social, educational, legal, medical,
and governmental institutions; economic class, designed and natural ecology, and
culture — as well as children themselves — each helps to define parenting.
The nature, structure, and meaning of parenting
Parenting is pleasures, privileges, and profits as well as frustrations, fears,

and failures.
Contemporary parenting studies are diversified, pluralistic, and specialized. This
fragmented state needs counterforce in an arena that allows the extended in-
depth exploration of cardinal topics in parenting. Monographs in Parenting vigor-
ously pursues that goal.
Marc H. Bornstein
Series Editor
ER9416.indb 8 6/12/07 3:11:16 PM

Preface
More than 20 years ago we started to experiment with videotaped parental

behavior in order to enhance parents’ sensitivity to their children’s signals. This
volume presents the outcome of this effort, Video-feedback Intervention to pro-
mote Positive Parenting (VIPP) and its various modalities. The protocol of the
VIPP programs is presented in Chapter 2. Our brief and focused parenting inter-
vention program has been successfully implemented in a variety of clinical and
nonclinical groups and cultures. This book describes the VIPP approach as one
of the few evidence-based parenting intervention protocols to date.
Central to early attachment-based intervention is the assumption that a secure
attachment relationship is an important basis for children’s future development,
especially in domains closely related to attachment, such as social develop-
ment. Empirical studies have shown significant relations between early child-
hood attachment security and children’s later favorable social development and
competence. Secure children tend to trust others, show adequate self-esteem in
social interaction, make friends, and experience social support. Therefore, the
concept of secure attachment relationships and the related concept of parental
sensitivity are highly relevant to the clinical field, as is the development and
evaluation of attachment-based interventions for at-risk and clinical families.
In this volume we focus on attachment-based interventions for parents and
caregivers, using three perspectives. First, we introduce the VIPP programs
and identify their essential components: the video feedback, the intervention
themes, the optional written information, and the attachment discussions in
one of the VIPP modalities. Second, we paint a picture of the broader field
by reviewing existing attachment-based interventions with narrative and meta-
analytic approaches. Third, we provide detailed descriptions and case reports of
intervention studies based on the VIPP programs designed at Leiden Univer-
sity in the Netherlands and adapted for different cultures, settings, and (clini-
cal) families. The VIPP programs were implemented and tested in families and
in childcare settings in several countries, including the Netherlands, Italy, the
United Kingdom, and the United States. The various chapters present how the
VIPP approach was implemented successfully in samples of insecure mothers,
mothers with eating disorders, and childcare providers, and in samples with
preterm infants and children suffering from dermatitis, adopted children, and
children with early externalizing behavior problems. In the pertinent studies
ER9416.indb 9 6/12/07 3:11:16 PM

Preface
important intervention effects of the VIPP approach were found on maternal

sensitive behavior and attitudes, on positive parent-child interaction, and on
child behavior (e.g., increases in attachment security, reduction of overactive
behavior). However, the evidence base for the VIPP approach is not restricted to
the empirical studies reported in this book. Support for the VIPP approach also
resides in the findings of several meta-analyses documenting that behaviorally
focused and rather brief interventions appear to be most effective in enhancing
parental sensitivity as well as in promoting children’s attachment security (“less
is more”).
The work presented in this volume is important for researchers, students, and
practitioners in developmental and clinical psychology, human development and
family studies, psychiatry, social work, public health and nursing, early childhood
education, and related fields. The book may be used in undergraduate and gradu-
ate courses on attachment and early childhood development, early childhood
education, as well as in courses on (preventive) early childhood interventions.
We hope that bringing together the work on VIPP in a single volume will inspire
researchers and clinicians alike to take VIPP into consideration when they work
with troubled parents of young children.
ER9416.indb 10 6/12/07 3:11:16 PM

About the authors
Lenneke R. A. Alink is assistant professor at the Centre for Child and Fam-
ily Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands. She participates in the Leiden
Attachment Research Program, focusing on the (biological) precursors, cor-
relates, and consequences of externalizing behavior in early childhood. Her
dissertation focused on early childhood physical aggression. She investigated
the prevalence and development of physical aggression in one- to three-year-
old children and also examined the biological and parenting predictors of this
behavior. Besides her work at the Centre for Child and Family Studies she con-
ducts postdoctoral research at the Institute of Child Development at the Uni-
versity of Minnesota.
Erin Bartsch is a doctoral student in child development and family studies at
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Her primary research interest is in
investigating how language plays a part in sensitive responsive caregiving.
Philomeen Breddels-van Baardewijk completed her MA at the Centre for
Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands. She participated
as a PhD student in the Leiden Attachment Research Program and was involved
in several phases of the study examining the effectiveness of the Video-feedback
Intervention to promote Positive Parenting (VIPP) and VIPP with representa-
tional attachment discussions (VIPP-R) programs in the Netherlands.
Simone Bruno conducted his PhD study at the University of Bari, Italy, examin-
ing attachment of mothers and children with recurrent asthmatic bronchitis. As
a PhD student he participated in the pilot study that investigated the effective-
ness of the Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting with rep-
resentational attachment discussions (VIPP-R) in families with sick children.
Rosalinda Cassibba is professor of developmental psychology at the University
of Bari, Italy. In her PhD study at the University of Padua, Italy, her research
focused on attachment and play in childcare centers. In her research program
she has been studying diverse aspects of early human social, affective, and cog-
nitive development, including language, play, attachment, and at-risk infant
development. She supervises various research projects concerning attachment
and infant development in families with preterm and dermatitis children, and
a study on the effectiveness of the Video-feedback Intervention to promote
ER9416.indb 11 6/12/07 3:11:16 PM

xii About the Authors
Positive Parenting with representational attachment discussions (VIPP-R) aimed

at enhancing maternal sensitivity and children’s security in low-SES families.
Gabrielle Coppola is a researcher at the Department of Developmental Psychology,
University of Chieti, Italy. She conducted her PhD study at the University of
Bari, Italy, examining the effectiveness of VIPP-R (Video-feedback Intervention
to promote Positive Parenting with representational attachment discussions) in
enhancing maternal sensitivity and promoting children’s attachment security in
families with preterm children. Her research interests include attachment pro-
cesses throughout the life span and social development in the first years of life.
Alessandro Costantini, psychologist, is a PhD student at the University of Bari,
Italy. His thesis focuses on attachment security and language development in
preterm infants. He is involved in a research project on the definition of evalu-
ation criteria for foster care.
Lucia Elia, psychologist, is a PhD student at the University of Bari, Italy. Her
PhD study focuses on attachment processes, social competence, and theory of
mind in the preschool age. She is also involved in a research project on the
social development of handicapped children.
James Elicker is associate professor in child development and family studies
and director of children’s programs at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indi-
ana. He has been an early childhood teacher, administrator, and researcher for
more than 30 years. He completed his graduate education in child development
and early education at Harvard University and the University of Minnesota,
receiving his PhD in 1991. He teaches courses in child development, early child-
hood education, and research methods. His research focuses on young children’s
development in the context of early childhood programs.
Sergio Gatto, clinical psychologist, University of Bari, Italy, is attending the
Cognitive-Behavioral School of Psychotherapy (G. Liotti, director). His research
interests include attachment processes through the life span and psychopathol-
ogy. He is involved in a research project on attachment and the social develop-
ment of handicapped children.
Oana Georgescu has a BA in psychology from St. Mary’s University and an MS
in child development and family studies from Purdue University, West Lafayette,
Indiana. She is working in Bucharest, Romania, with nonprofit organizations
focused on child and family development and continuing her work with video
feedback in childcare.
Leezah Hertzmann is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist working both in pri-
vate practice and in schools. She is an honorary research psychotherapist at the
Tavistock Clinic and Portman NHS Trust, London, where she has worked on
ER9416.indb 12 6/12/07 3:11:17 PM

About the Authors xiii
a number of studies investigating interventions for parents and infants. Until

recently, she worked as child mental health adviser to the Department for Edu-
cation and Skills, where she advised on child and family mental health, influ-
encing and shaping policy and practice in this area. She has an interest in the
development of psychological interventions for parents and children and, in
particular, making such interventions accessible to families in school settings.
In addition to supervising and lecturing on psychotherapy training courses, she
also consults to various organizations in the area of child and family mental
health.
Mariska Klein Velderman studied child and family studies at Leiden University
in the Netherlands. At the Centre for Child and Family Studies (Leiden Attach-
ment Research Program) she conducted her PhD study examining the effective-
ness of the Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting (VIPP)
and VIPP with representational attachment discussions (VIPP-R) programs. At
the same center she was involved in the Dutch national incidence studies on
child abuse and neglect (NIS-R) as a research assistant. She then started to work
as a researcher at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research
(TNO), focusing on several topics including child abuse, public health, bullying,
and early childhood intervention programs.
Hans M. Koot is professor of developmental psychology and developmental
psychopathology at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. After his PhD work on
problem behavior in pre-school-aged children at Erasmus University, Rotterdam,
he was involved in — mostly longitudinal — research projects on emotional
development, behavioral and emotional problems, psychopathology, adjust-
ment, and quality of life in both the general population and special clinical
samples, including children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders, intellec-
tual disability, and somatic disorders. He supervises the emotional development
program concerning the normative and deviant development of children, ado-
lescents, and young adults, with special attention to the development of social
skills, emotional competence, and antisocial and prosocial behavior. Studies
include longitudinal observations and surveys, experimental work, and (preven-
tive) interventions.
Judi Mesman is associate professor at the Centre for Child and Family Studies,
Leiden University, the Netherlands. She participates in the Leiden Attachment
Research Program. Her research interests include the role of early parent-child
interactions in the development of externalizing problems, early indicators of
harsh discipline, and parent-child relationships in a cross-cultural context. She
investigates the relative contribution of the main parenting processes described
in attachment theory (sensitivity) and coercion theory (social learning) to the
development of early childhood externalizing problems. She is also involved in
ER9416.indb 13 6/12/07 3:11:17 PM

xiv About the Authors
a project examining parental behavioral and physiological hyperreactivity to

infant signals as precursors of harsh discipline in high- and low-SES families
from different ethnic groups. Her research also focuses on families from different
cultural groups in the Netherlands, comparing parent-child interaction, child
externalizing problems, and the development of ethnic identification.
Alan Stein is professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of
Oxford (Warneford Hospital) and an honorary consultant in child and adoles-
cent psychiatry at both the Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHS Trust and the
Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust. He received his medical education at the
University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, and did most of his
postgraduate training in Oxford. He also held a post at the Winnicott Research
Unit at the University of Cambridge for five years. Before taking up his current
position he was professor of child and family mental health at the Royal Free
and University College Medical School and the Tavistock Centre. The main
focus of his research has concerned the development of young children in the
face of adversity. The ultimate aim of this work has been to find ways to enhance
children’s development and helping to support their families. He is also very
committed to the training of medical students and other healthcare profession-
als in these areas of work.
Mirjam N. Stolk completed her PhD study in the Leiden Attachment Research
Program at the Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, the
Netherlands. Her thesis focused on the role of the family context in the develop-
ment and prevention of early externalizing problems. She conducted a process
evaluation of the Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting
and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) program. She was one of the interveners
who implemented the VIPP-SD program in families with children screened
for high levels of externalizing behavior problems, and she helped train other
interveners.
Alessia Tota, psychologist, is a PhD student at the University of Bari, Italy. Her
research focuses on attachment in sick children and interventions with handi-
capped children.
Jantien van Zeijl is a researcher at Statistics Netherlands (Centraal Bureau
voor de Statistiek [CBS]), analyzing national statistics about children’s school
performance in the Netherlands. She completed her PhD study at the Centre
for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands, within the
Leiden Attachment Research Program. Her research focused on evaluating the
effectiveness of the Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parent-
ing and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) program. She was one of the interven-
ers who implemented the VIPP-SD program in families with children screened
for high levels of externalizing behavior problems, and she helped train other
ER9416.indb 14 6/12/07 3:11:17 PM

About the Authors xv
interveners. She also examined differential susceptibility in the association

between negative parenting and child externalizing problems, as well as the
nature of externalizing problems in one-year-old children. In addition, she was
involved in a study on childcare.
Helen Woolley has combined a career of clinical work within the fields of child
and family mental health with research encompassing two particular areas of
interest: first, that of evaluating children’s hospice care, including hospice staff
stress and support, within the context of the wider service provision for children
suffering life-limiting illness. The second and main research focus spanning the
last 18 years has consisted of an exploration of the impact of maternal eating
disorders upon children, particularly through the very early years. In this con-
text she has developed a specific interest in the microanalysis of videoed mother-
infant interaction and the use of video feedback as a tool for intervention. She
has worked and published in each area of research with Alan Stein both at the
Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Section of Child and Adolescent Psy-
chiatry in Oxford and in London.
ER9416.indb 15 6/12/07 3:11:17 PM

ER9416.indb 16 6/12/07 3:11:17 PM
About the editors
Femmie Juffer holds the chair for adoption studies at the Centre for Child and
Family Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands. She completed her PhD
study at Utrecht University, the Netherlands, examining the effectiveness of
an attachment-based video-feedback intervention program for adoptive fami-
lies. Since 1993 she has been affiliated with the Leiden Attachment Research
Program, specializing in research on adoption and intervention. She is involved
in a longitudinal adoption study and several other studies on the development
of adopted children and children reared in institutions. Together with Mari-
nus van IJzendoorn she supervises the Adoption Meta-Analysis Project (MAP),
examining adopted children’s development through meta-analytic syntheses.
Her research also focuses on the development and evaluation of attachment-
based interventions in adoptive and biological families.
Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg, associate professor at the Centre for Child
and Family Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands, participates in the
Leiden Attachment Research Program. Since her PhD study on the reliabil-
ity and discriminant validity of the Adult Attachment Interview she has been
involved in studies on disorganized attachment, attachment in children with
autism, attachment-based interventions, stress regulation, and the development
of compliance and empathic concern. She also contributed to several meta-
analyses, including attachment-based interventions, the Attachment Q-Sort,
secondary traumatization, attention bias, and physical growth in adopted chil-
dren. A focus on behavioral and molecular genetics has led to several twin stud-
ies on attachment. She is interested in effects of gene-environment interaction
(including the dopamine D4 receptor gene polymorphism) and children’s dif-
ferential susceptibility to child-rearing influences.
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn is professor at Leiden University, the Netherlands,
Centre for Child and Family Studies, and director of the Leiden Attachment
Research Program. After his PhD study on adolescent cognitive, moral and
political development at the Free University of Berlin and the Max Planck
Institute for Education and Human Development, he specialized in research
on attachment across the life span and in meta-analytic syntheses of research
on child and family studies. He is involved in attachment studies on nonparen-
tal childcare, development of orphaned and adopted children, development of
(children of) Holocaust survivors, child maltreatment, autism, and the develop-
ER9416.indb 17 6/12/07 3:11:18 PM

xviii About the Editors
ment of compliance and empathic concern. Cultural and neurobiological con-

tributions to variations in children’s emotion regulation are emphasized, as well
as evidence-based intervention to optimize child development.
ER9416.indb 18 6/12/07 3:11:18 PM

Acknowledgments
The editors gratefully acknowledge the support of Reineke Mom, Joke Scholtens,
and Marian Verlaan, all affiliated with the Centre for Child and Family Studies,
Leiden University, the Netherlands, in editing and revising this volume. The
editors also thank Marc Bornstein, editor of the Monographs in Parenting series,
for his numerous helpful suggestions to improve previous drafts of the book, and
Lori Handelman (Lawrence Erlbaum) for her practical support.
The interventions introduced in this book, VIPP and VIPP with representation
attachment discussions (VIPP-R), were developed at the Centre for Child and
Family Studies at Leiden University, supported by a Pioneer Award from the
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NW0 (grant PGS 59-256) to
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn. Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg and Marinus H.
van IJzendoorn are supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific
Research NWO (VIDI grant and SPINOZA prize, respectively). VIPP-Sensitive
Discipline (VIPP-SD) was developed with support from the Netherlands Orga-
nization for Health Research and Developments ZON-MW to Marinus H. van
IJzendoorn and Femmie Juffer.
Femmie Juffer
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1
Promoting positive
parenting
A n int ro d u c tio n
Femmie Juf f er, M arian J.

B akermans - Kranenburg, and
M arinus H. van I Jzendo orn
Ce n t re fo r Chil d a n d Fa mily S t u die s,
Le id e n U nive rsit y, t h e N e t h e rl a n d s
Since Mary Ainsworth (1967) and John Bowlby (1969) discovered that children
use their parents as a secure base to fulfill their attachment and exploration
needs, an impressive body of empirical research has been devoted to the search
for the origins and consequences of (in)secure child-parent attachment relation-
ships. Today attachment security can be characterized as a construct that has
proven to be valid across various cultures (Van IJzendoorn & Sagi, 1999); in dif-
ferent contexts, such as family, childcare, and institutional settings (e.g., Goos-
sens & Van IJzendoorn, 1990; Howes, 1999; Vorria et al., 2003; Zeanah, Smyke,
Koga, & Carlson, 2005); and in families with different types of genetic kinship
(e.g., parents with twins, siblings, or adopted children; Bokhorst et al., 2003;
Juffer & Rosenboom, 1997; Van IJzendoorn et al., 2000). Secure attachment
relationships have been associated with better social competence (e.g., Stams,
Juffer, & Van IJzendoorn, 2002; Weinfield, Sroufe, Egeland, & Carlson, 1999)
and with more optimal parent and peer relationships than insecure attach-
ments (e.g., Sroufe, Egeland, Carlson, & Collins, 2005). The concept of secure
attachment relationships and the related concept of parental sensitivity appear
to be highly significant for the clinical field, including the development and
evaluation of attachment-based interventions for at-risk and clinical families.
In particular, parental sensitivity as the empirically documented determinant of
children’s attachment security (De Wolff & Van IJzendoorn, 1997) has been the
focus of intervention efforts. Parental sensitivity can be defined as the ability
ER9416.indb 1 6/12/07 3:11:18 PM

Promoting positive parenting
to accurately perceive the child’s signals and to respond to these signals in a

prompt and adequate way (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978).
In this volume we focus on attachment-based interventions, reviewing and ana-
lyzing attachment-based intervention research and introducing a newly devel-
oped and empirically tested attachment-based intervention: VIPP. Also, we
describe how the VIPP intervention was adapted for and evaluated in several
(clinical) groups and cultures. In this chapter, we discuss the theoretical back-
ground of attachment-based interventions in general, followed by an overview of
this volume’s contents.
Attachment-based intervention: theoretical basis
Departing from an evolutionary perspective and drawing on research that

examined the effects of separations of (primate) infants from their parents (e.g.,
Harlow, 1958; Robertson & Robertson, 1989), Bowlby formulated the main prin-
ciples of attachment theory in his famous trilogy Attachment, Separation, and
Loss (Bowlby, 1969, 1973, 1980). According to attachment theory, infants are
biologically predisposed to use their parents as a haven of safety to provide com-
fort and protection when they are distressed, and as a secure base from which
they can explore the world (Bowlby, 1969, 1988). Securely attached children feel
free to play and express their feelings because they trust their parents to comfort
and support them whenever they need help. However, not all children experi-
ence their parents as a haven of safety and a secure base. It was Mary Ainsworth
(1967; Ainsworth et al., 1978) who in her pioneering studies in Uganda and
Baltimore discovered that children vary in their quality of attachment security.
Consequently, she designed a now-famous paradigm to assess these individual
differences: the Strange Situation Procedure (Ainsworth et al., 1978).
Attachment security
In the Strange Situation Procedure children are confronted with several mildly
stressful conditions: an unfamiliar room with toys, an unfamiliar person, and
two short separations from their mother (or father). Two episodes in this pro-
cedure are particularly relevant for the assessment of individual differences in
attachment security: the reunions after the two separations. These episodes show
whether and how children strike a balance between their attachment needs
and exploration behavior. Secure (B) children may be distressed by the separa-
tion, but they actively seek their mother’s proximity and contact at the reunion.
After being comforted, these children are able to continue their exploration of
the toys and the environment. Insecure-avoidant (A) children are not visibly
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distressed by the separation, although their heart rates during separation are as
elevated as those of secure children (Spangler & Grossmann, 1993). On reunion
they turn their attention to the toys and the environment or actively avoid their
mother’s proximity. In other words, avoidant children do not show their attach-
ment needs and they seem to be intensively involved in exploratory behavior. In
contrast, insecure-ambivalent (C) children show their attachment needs by being
visibly upset and distressed by the procedure, but after the mother’s return they
cannot be settled to play and exploration again. In normative groups, about 65%
of the children are securely attached, 21% are insecure-avoidant, and 14% are
insecure-ambivalent (N = 1,990; Van IJzendoorn & Kroonenberg, 1988).
After a decade of research with the Strange Situation Procedure, a fourth cat-
egory was added to the three categories of secure, avoidant, and ambivalent
attachment: insecure-disorganized (D) attachment (Main & Solomon, 1990).
Main noted that some children could not be classified according to Ainsworth
et al.’s (1978) coding system, and that these children had one thing in common:
a momentary absence or breakdown of their strategy in an otherwise organized
pattern of (in)secure attachment. For example, these children suddenly stilled or
froze all movements, or they reacted with expressions of fear when their mother
returned after the separation in the Strange Situation Procedure. According to
Main (1999), disorganized children experience “fright without solution”: they
want their mother for comfort, but they cannot approach her because she is at
the same time a source of fear. Main and Hesse (1990) hypothesized that paren-
tal frightening and frightened behavior may be related to children’s disorganized
attachment. Indeed, several studies confirmed and replicated the association
between parental frightening/frightened behavior and children’s disorganized
attachment (Abrams, 2000; Abrams, Rifkin, & Hesse, 2006; Lyons-Ruth, Bron-
fman, & Parsons, 1999; Schuengel, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & Van IJzendoorn,
1999; True, Pisani, & Oumar, 2001; see Hesse & Main, 2006). In nonclinical
populations about 15% of the children are classified as disorganized attached,
but in clinical, at-risk samples the number of disorganized children is much
higher (Van IJzendoorn, Schuengel, & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 1999).
Parental sensitivity
Ainsworth documented that children’s individual differences shown in the

Strange Situation Procedure are associated with their interaction history with
their mother in the first year of life (Ainsworth et al., 1978). Securely attached
children had sensitive mothers, who accurately perceived their child’s signals of
distress and responded to these signals in a prompt and adequate way (Ainsworth,
Bell, & Stayton, 1974). Insecure-avoidant children had mothers who consistently
reacted insensitively and unresponsively by ignoring or rejecting their child’s
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expressions of distress and negative emotions. Finally, insecure-ambivalent chil-

dren had mothers who were inconsistently responsive, sometimes responding
to their child’s needs but at other times not responding at all. Several studies
confirmed the relation between parental sensitivity and children’s attachment
security (De Wolff & Van IJzendoorn, 1997; Goldsmith & Alansky, 1987).
Parents’ mental representations of attachment
Empirical studies also confirmed relations between parental (in)sensitive or

frightening behavior and children’s attachment security and disorganization. In
addition, parental (in)secure mental representations of attachment were found
to be associated with parental (in)sensitivity and with insecure infant-parent
attachment relationships (Main, Kaplan, & Cassidy, 1985; Van IJzendoorn, 1995).
On the basis of the Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main,
1985; Hesse, 1999; Main & Goldwyn, 1994), the following mental representa-
tions of attachment can be distinguished: secure or autonomous representations,
insecure-dismissing, insecure-preoccupied, and insecure-unresolved representa-
tions. In contrast to secure, autonomous (F) parents who are able to reflect on
positive or negative childhood experiences in a coherent way, insecure-dismissing
(Ds) parents idealize their childhood experiences or devalue the importance of
attachment relationships for their own lives. Insecure-preoccupied (E) parents,
who are still angrily or passively involved with their past relationships, seem
mentally entangled with their parents. Finally, insecure-unresolved (U) parents
struggle with memories of loss or trauma, shown by momentary lapses in the
monitoring of their discourse or reasoning. There is empirical evidence that
attachment patterns are transmitted from one generation to the following gen-
eration: Autonomous parents usually have secure children and insecure parents
usually have insecure children (for a meta-analysis, see Van IJzendoorn, 1995;
Waters, Vaughn, Posada, & Kondo-Ikemura, 1995).
Interventions directed at the behavioral and representational level
Central to early attachment-based intervention is the assumption that a secure

attachment relationship is an important basis for future development, especially
in domains closely related to attachment, such as social development. Secure
attachment involves the mental representation of others as available, respon-
sive, and trustworthy, and the mental representation of the self as worthy of
love, respect, and care (Bowlby, 1969; Jacobsen & Hofmann, 1997). Secure chil-
dren tend to trust others, show adequate self-esteem in social interaction, make
friends, and experience social support. Empirical studies have shown significant
relations between early childhood attachment security and later favorable social
ER9416.indb 4 6/12/07 3:11:19 PM

Parental
Infant-
Mental Parental
Parent
Representation Sensitivity
Attachment
of Attachment
Intervention
Figure 1.1 A model of interventions in attachment. (From Van IJzendoorn, Juffer, &
Duyvesteyn, 1995, p. 227.)
development and competence (Fagot, 1997; Kerns, 1994; Schneider, Atkinson,

& Tardif, 2001; Stams et al., 2002; Sroufe et al., 2005; Thompson, 1999).
As parents’ mental representations of attachment as well as their sensitivity are
empirically derived determinants of child attachment security, intervention
efforts may be directed at the representational level, addressing parental attach-
ment representations in order to pave the way for subsequent behavioral changes,
and at the behavioral level, addressing parental sensitivity (see Figure 1.1).
In this volume both types of interventions are introduced, reviewed, and ana-
lyzed: VIPP, a behavioral intervention, aimed at promoting sensitivity, and
VIPP-R, VIPP with a representational component, with the additional aim of
promoting a secure mental representation of attachment.
Autonomy and behavior problems
In the most optimal scenario of child development, the first attachment rela-
tionships of one-year-old children serve as a secure base, enabling them to
explore the world freely and to get comfort whenever they experience setbacks.
When these securely attached children grow older, they develop — like all chil-
dren in their second year of life — an increasing need for autonomy. However,
their needs to behave independently of the parent (for example, eating, walk-
ing, talking) develop in relative harmony with the parent. Although not all
interactions may be perfectly harmonious, securely attached children are more
compliant, show more positive affect, and are more cooperative than insecurely
attached children (Sroufe et al., 2005). In the same vein, attachment insecurity
and parental lack of warmth in early childhood are associated with children’s
ER9416.indb 5 6/12/07 3:11:20 PM

behavior problems in early and later childhood and in adolescence (e.g., Belsky,
Woodsworth, & Crnic, 1996; Erickson, Sroufe, & Egeland, 1985; Greenberg,
Speltz, DeKlyen, & Endriga, 1991; Olson, Bates, Sandy, & Lanthier, 2000; Van
IJzendoorn et al., 1999). Consequently, in many families parents may struggle
with difficult and challenging child behaviors, such as noncompliance and
oppositional behaviors.
Therefore, in attachment-based interventions parents may be supported not
only to interact with their children in a sensitive way, but also to cope with the
(emerging) difficult behaviors of their children. We thus designed an additional
intervention module, aimed at promoting parents’ sensitive discipline behavior
(VIPP-SD). This intervention module is based on the integration of attachment
theory and coercion theory. Coercion theory departs from the social learning
perspective and focuses on ineffective parental discipline resulting in increas-
ingly difficult and challenging child behavior (Patterson, 1982). Children’s
behavior problems are believed to more likely occur and continue to exist when
a child is reinforced for responding with negative, noncompliant behavior to
parental requests or demands (see Chapter 11 for a more extensive discussion of
coercion theory). In VIPP-SD parents are supported to use adequate discipline
strategies in a sensitive way.
Overview of the volume
In this volume we focus on attachment-based interventions for parents and care-

givers, using three perspectives. First, we introduce the VIPP methods. Second,
we paint a picture of the broader field by reviewing existing attachment-based
interventions. Third, we continue with the detailed descriptions and case reports
of several intervention studies based on the VIPP programs designed at Leiden
University in the Netherlands and adapted for different cultures, settings, and
(clinical) families.
Chapter 2 provides the protocol with a detailed description of the intervention
methods used in the VIPP programs: VIPP, VIPP-SD, and VIPP-R. Chapter 3
provides a case study and process evaluations to illustrate the intervention pro-
cesses of VIPP and VIPP-R.
In Chapter 4 a narrative review of attachment-based interventions is presented
to provide the reader with a broader framework to understand and evaluate the
current state of the art of attachment-based intervention research. In Chapter 5
this review is complemented with a series of meta-analyses. Based on our meta-
analyses we may conclude what works for whom; for example, do attachment-
based interventions work better with nonclinical samples than with clinical
groups? Also, the meta-analytic approach allows for conclusions about several
ER9416.indb 6 6/12/07 3:11:20 PM

intervention characteristics, such as the focus of the intervention, the number

of sessions, and the best time to start an intervention.
Chapters 6 and 7 focus on how intervention may work for parents of highly
reactive, preterm, or sick infants. In these studies the VIPP program, including
VIPP-R, was used. In Chapter 6 our Leiden intervention study with VIPP and
VIPP-R is described. For the first time the differential susceptibility of children,
the propensity of some children to be more receptive to environmental influ-
ences than other children, is studied in an experimental design. Positive inter-
vention effects were most pronounced for highly reactive, susceptible infants
and their mothers. Chapter 7 describes how the VIPP-R program was adapted
for and tested in a clinical group of Italian families with preterm and sick derma-
titis infants and their mothers. Due to their preterm or ill condition, these babies
may trigger less touch and cuddling from their mothers, leading to decreased
sensitivity and attachment security.
Chapters 8 and 9 describe studies using the VIPP program (without additional
intervention modules). Chapter 8 gives a detailed description of how the VIPP
program is used in a clinical group of English families with postnatal eating
disordered mothers and their infants. Mothers with eating disorders have dif-
ficulties feeding their baby in a relaxed way, and mother-infant conflict easily
disturbs smooth mother-child interactions. An intervention program with video
feedback might help these parents better attune to the needs of their children.
In the same vein, adoptive parents may encounter difficulties attuning to their
genetically unrelated adopted children. In Chapter 9 video feedback is tested in
a sample of adoptive families. This chapter describes how a preliminary version
of the VIPP program improved maternal sensitivity and reduced attachment
disorganization in mothers and their internationally adopted children. Addi-
tionally, the long-term consequences of the early parent-child relationships and
the long-term intervention effects are discussed.
Chapters 10 and 11 describe new extensions of the VIPP program. In Chapter
10 an adaptation of VIPP for childcare providers and results from a pilot study
with professional caregivers in childcare are presented. Because many children
are cared for in childcare settings and develop attachment relationships not only
with their parents but also with their childcare providers, it is imperative that
the caregivers in these settings respond sensitively to the children in their care.
The chapter describes how the program Tuning In, based on VIPP, was imple-
mented in an American childcare setting. In Chapter 11 we present another
extension of VIPP. In this program the additional focus is on VIPP-SD, based
on both attachment theory and coercion theory (Patterson, 1982). The program
is tested in three age groups of children with externalizing behavior problems:
one-year-olds, two-year-olds, and three-year-olds. Thus, the VIPP-SD program
ER9416.indb 7 6/12/07 3:11:20 PM

can be seen as an extension of VIPP not only with respect to its theoretical
background but also with respect to the ages of the children, since infants as
well as toddlers and preschoolers are involved.
Finally, in Chapter 12 we recapitulate the content and effectiveness of the
VIPP program and its adaptations and extensions. The evidence for focused
and relatively brief interventions such as VIPP is summarized, including their
potential to prevent disorganized attachment. We also try to explain why sen-
sitivity-focused interventions such as the VIPP program are effective. The role
of fathers as intervention participants is discussed, and we address the issue of
behavioral change versus representational continuity, one of the issues emerging
in several chapters.
Conclusions
In this chapter we discussed the theoretical background of attachment-based

interventions and presented an overview of this volume’s contents. According
to Bowlby, founding father of attachment theory, infants are biologically predis-
posed to use their parents as a haven of safety to provide protection when they
are distressed, and as a secure base from which they can explore the world. Ain-
sworth discovered that children vary in their quality of attachment security, and
she designed a paradigm to assess these differences: the Strange Situation Pro-
cedure. Based on their behavior in this observational procedure, children can
be classified as secure or insecure. Ainsworth also documented that children’s
individual differences in attachment behavior are related to the interaction his-
tory with their parent in the first year of life, in particular to parental sensitiv-
ity. Several studies confirmed the association between parental sensitivity and
children’s attachment security. In addition, parental mental representations of
attachment were found to be associated with parental sensitivity and infant-par-
ent attachment relationships.
Central to attachment-based intervention is the assumption that a secure
attachment relationship is an important basis for children’s future development.
Secure attachment involves the mental representation of others as available and
trustworthy and the mental representation of the self as worthy of love and
care. Secure children tend to trust others, show adequate self-esteem, and make
friends. As parents’ mental representations of attachment as well as their sensi-
tivity are empirically derived determinants of child attachment security, inter-
vention efforts may be directed at the representational level, addressing parental
attachment representations, and at the behavioral level, addressing parental sen-
sitivity. In this volume both types of interventions are discussed and introduced:
VIPP, a behavioral intervention, aimed at promoting sensitivity, and VIPP-R,
ER9416.indb 8 6/12/07 3:11:21 PM

VIPP with a representational component, with the additional aim of promoting

a secure mental representation of attachment. In attachment-based interven-
tions parents may be supported not only to interact with their children in a
sensitive way, but also to cope with difficult child behavior. We thus designed
an additional intervention module, aimed at promoting parents’ sensitive disci-
pline behavior (VIPP-SD). This intervention module is based on the integration
of attachment theory and coercion theory. Patterson’s coercion theory departs
from the social learning perspective and focuses on ineffective parental disci-
pline resulting in increasingly difficult child behavior.
In this volume we focus on attachment-based interventions for parents and
caregivers, using three perspectives. First, we introduce the VIPP methods. Sec-
ond, we review and analyze existing attachment-based interventions. Third, we
provide detailed descriptions of several intervention studies based on the VIPP
programs designed at Leiden University in the Netherlands and adapted for dif-
ferent cultures, settings, and (clinical) families.
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ER9416.indb 10 6/12/07 3:11:21 PM
2
Methods of the video-

feedback programs
to promote positive
p are nting alone, wit h
se nsitive discip line, and
with representational
attachment discussions

This chapter presents the protocol of the VIPP programs, including a descrip-
tion of the intervention methods: the video feedback, the intervention themes,
the (optional) written information, and the attachment discussions. In the
VIPP programs parents are offered short-term behaviorally focused (VIPP and
VIPP-SD) or combined behaviorally and representationally focused (VIPP-R)
interventions aimed at enhancing parental sensitivity and positive parent-child
interactions. The programs are standardized and individualized, meaning that
the intervener works from a general protocol but attunes the specific themes and
guidelines to the individual parent-child dyad.
All VIPP programs utilize videotaped interactions of the parent and child
involved and video feedback: watching and discussing the videotape together
with the parent. This technique is comparable with the interaction guidance
method developed by McDonough (2004) and the guided self-observation
through video feedback developed by Erickson (Egeland & Erickson, 2004;
ER9416.indb 11 6/12/07 3:11:21 PM

12 Methods of the video-feedback programs
Erickson & Kurz-Riemer, 1999). Video feedback is, however, different from using
videotaped model behavior to teach parents new behavior, for example, baby
massage (Scholz & Samuels, 1992). A problem with videotaped model behavior
may be that the parent does not identify with the model parent or child on
the videotape (Lambermon & Van IJzendoorn, 1989). The VIPP approach is
also different from holding and other so-called attachment regression therapies
(Chaffin et al., 2006; O’Connor & Nilsen, 2005), as it capitalizes on the current
strengths of the parent-child dyad and aims at enhancing parents’ sensitive reac-
tions to child behavior.
The actual behaviors of the child and parent on the videotape are the starting
point of the VIPP programs, and not retrospective memories that may be biased
by the parent’s own childhood experiences or by negative feelings about the
child. The video-feedback intervention offers opportunities to practice obser-
vational skills by watching child behavior together with the parent and oppor-
tunities to reinforce the sensitive behaviors, fleeting as they may be, that the
parent sometimes does show. Although actual child and parent behaviors are
the focus of VIPP, the intervener may also offer (written) information about
child development during the video-feedback sessions. To evaluate the inter-
vention processes of the VIPP programs, interveners may use logbooks to note
their personal impressions after each session and an evaluation questionnaire
to be completed by the parent(s) involved after the end of the intervention (see
Chapter 3 for illustrations).
Outline of the VIPP programs
Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting (VIPP) aims at

enhancing parental sensitive behavior through providing personal video feedback,
possibly combined with written information (in brochures, booklets, a personal
book, or an individual album) on sensitive responding in daily situations. VIPP-
SD (VIPP combined with sensitive discipline) includes an additional focus on the
use of sensitive discipline in challenging parent-child interactions. VIPP-R (VIPP
combined with representational efforts) includes additional discussions about past
and present attachment relationships, aimed at affecting the parent’s mental rep-
resentation of attachment. The VIPP programs are usually directed at parents of
infants (see Chapters 6 to 9), although VIPP and VIPP-SD have been successfully
used with toddlers and preschool children too (see Chapters 10 and 11).
The VIPP programs are home based and short-term: The interventions are
implemented in the home of the family in a modest number of sessions (usu-
ally four to eight). The effectiveness of interventions of relatively short duration
and with a modest number of sessions has been meta-analytically documented
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Methods of the video-feedback programs 13
(Bakermans-Kranenburg, Van IJzendoorn, & Juffer, 2003; see Chapter 5).

Building a supporting relationship between the intervener and the parent(s)
(Bowlby, 1988) is considered a crucial element of all VIPP programs. The VIPP
interventions are usually implemented by female interveners with a master’s
degree or doctoral degree in (developmental) psychology, education, or child/
family studies. In the VIPP interventions each session has a specific theme (see
below). In Chapter 3 VIPP and VIPP-R are further elaborated through a case
study and first evaluation of VIPP and VIPP-R. In Chapter 11 several aspects of
VIPP-SD are described, including the adaptation of the intervention for differ-
ent age groups (one- to three-year-old children).
Video-feedback intervention to promote positive parenting (VIPP)

Background
A first attempt at enhancing parental sensitivity through an attachment-based

videotaped model of sensitive parenting appeared to be ineffective (Lamber-
mon & Van IJzendoorn, 1989). A problem with videotaped model behavior is
that parents may not identify with the specific model of a parent-child dyad on
the videotape, and they remain focused on superficial differences in outlook
and appearances of the dyad involved compared with their own situation. Par-
ents apparently need a mirror of their own daily interactions with their child to
change their behavior. Based on attachment theory (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters,
& Wall, 1978; Bowlby, 1982), a preliminary version of the current video-feed-
back intervention program was developed in a study of families with adopted
children (Juffer, 1993). This program was the first to use in vivo video feedback
as a systematic means to enhance parental sensitivity and infant attachment
security. The intervention consisted of three sessions and appeared to be suc-
cessful in promoting maternal sensitivity, secure infant-mother attachment, and
the prevention of disorganized attachment (see Chapter 9; Juffer, Bakermans-
Kranenburg, & Van IJzendoorn, 2005b). This video-feedback intervention was
further developed and elaborated at the Centre for Child and Family Studies
(Leiden University, the Netherlands) into the current Video-feedback Interven-
tion to promote Positive Parenting (VIPP), consisting of four sessions organized
into structured stages according to a detailed protocol.
Intervention methods
Video feedback
In the VIPP program, mother and infant are videotaped during daily situations
at their home (for example, playing together, bathing the baby, mealtime) during
ER9416.indb 13 6/12/07 3:11:21 PM

short episodes of 10 to 30 minutes. During the filming the intervener is not

actively involved in the parent-child interaction; her role is restricted to inviting
the mother to be filmed with her child in a specific situation and the actual film-
ing. The filming should be done discreetly to enable a more natural parent-child
interaction and to prevent the child’s attention being attracted to the camera or
the filmer rather than to the mother and the planned activity. This nonintru-
sive role also implies that the intervener does not give any advice, tips, or com-
ments during the filming, nor does she intervene when the child is distressed or
frustrated. This nonintrusive role is explained to the mother before the filming
starts. Also, the intervener explains that she will continue with filming when a
child is distressed or crying, because this behavior is part of the child’s behavior
repertoire and thus interesting to film, watch, and discuss. Mothers are encour-
aged to react to their children the way they normally react. At this point the
intervener may comment that the filming is not quite comparable with making
private home videos, such as filming the child’s birthday party. Whereas in pri-
vate home videos the aim is to record memorable events for the future, the aim
of video feedback is to record the whole range of children’s behavior during daily
interactions for later close observation and discussion.
For some mothers, the first filming may be an awkward situation, because of their
uncertainty or insecurity (see Chapters 3 and 6) or because of their body shape
(Chapter 8). Therefore, the intervener starts with a first (short) episode of filming
child behavior, for example, videotaping the child’s playing with a newly intro-
duced toy provided by the intervener. Moreover, the intervener may share with the
parent that almost all parents feel awkward when they are videotaped for the first
time. The mother is reassured that most parents get used to it quite quickly, also
because young children act normally after a few moments of accommodation.
In the period between the home visit and the first intervention session, the
intervener reviews the videotape and prepares her comments on the child’s
behavior or the mother’s reactions to the child as shown on the videotape. To
ease the process of connecting the comments to the pictures, a videotape with
time recording is used. The intervener writes down her comments, directed by
the guidelines of the intervention protocol and at the same time screening the
videotape for suitable fragments to review with the mother during the inter-
vention session. For example, when according to the guidelines the theme of
exploration versus attachment behavior (see below) will be discussed in the next
home visit, the intervener screens the tape, searching for fragments illustrating
the theme. Thus, fragments of the child making eye contact or seeking proxim-
ity are used to illustrate the child’s attachment behavior, whereas fragments of
the child’s conscientious play behavior are used to illustrate the child’s explor-
atory behavior. During the preparation of the intervention the intervener con-
nects the chosen fragments to the general messages or theme of that particular
ER9416.indb 14 6/12/07 3:11:22 PM

session. For example, while showing the child’s attachment and exploratory
behavior, the intervener may explain that these behaviors ask for differential
parental reactions: Children’s attachment signals should be met with prompt,
adequate reactions, whereas parents should not interfere in children’s explora-
tion activities. The intervener may also comment that exploration is important
for children because they learn a lot by manipulating toys. At the same time,
playing together provides children with an extra dimension compared to play-
ing alone: Their overtures are responded to, making them feel understood, and
moments of joy can be shared. Or, as one intervener commented on a cheerful
interaction fragment: “A rattle does not smile back, but you do!”
During the next visit the videotape is shown to the mother, and the intervener
reviews the whole videotape with her, repeating and discussing the selected frag-
ments, using the comments prepared earlier. Positive and successful interaction
moments shown on the videotape are used in the intervention. Focusing on
these (sometimes rather scarce) positive interactions serves the goal of showing
the parent that she is able to act as a sensitive, competent parent, fulfilling her
child’s attachment and exploration needs. To focus the mother’s attention on
positive interaction moments, the videotape is stilled at several moments and the
mother is shown a picture of a successful interaction or a happy child. By repeat-
ing positive fragments important messages of the intervention are emphasized
and more negative interaction moments are counterbalanced. In case of insensi-
tive parental behavior, the parent is encouraged to use more sensitive behaviors,
preferably behaviors she displayed at other moments on the videotape. Video
feedback provides the opportunity to focus on the baby’s videotaped signals and
expressions, thereby stimulating the mother’s observational skills and empathy
for her child. It also enables positive reinforcement of the parent’s moments of
sensitive behavior shown on the videotape. In this sense the parent is her own
model for the intervention. Video feedback thus enables the intervener to focus
on both parts of Ainsworth’s definition of sensitivity: accurately perceiving child
signals and adequately responding to them (Ainsworth et al., 1978).
Intervention themes
VIPP consists of four themes (Table 2.1) that are elaborated successively during
four home visits: (1) exploration versus attachment behavior — showing the dif-
ference between the child’s contact-seeking behavior and play and explaining
the differential responses needed from the parent; (2) “speaking for the child”
— promoting the accurate perception of children’s (subtle) signals by verbalizing
their facial expressions and nonverbal cues shown on the videotape; (3) “sen-
sitivity chain” — explaining the relevance of prompt and adequate responding
to the baby’s signals (chain: child signal → parental response → reaction of the
child); and (4) sharing emotions — showing and encouraging parents’ affective
ER9416.indb 15 6/12/07 3:11:22 PM

Table 2.1 Themes of the VIPP programs for each session

Session Sensitivity Discipline Representation
1. Exploration versus Inductive discipline and Separations: past and
attachment behavior distraction present
2. Speaking for the child Positive reinforcement Parenting: past and
present
3. Sensitivity chain Sensitive time-out Defining adult
relationships
4. Sharing emotions Empathy for the child Child of my parents,
parent of my child
attunement to the positive and negative emotions of their child (see Chapter 3
for a case study illustrating these themes). For example, in the third session a
chain of sensitivity is highlighted: a video fragment that shows a signal of the
child followed by a sensitive response of the mother and completed by a positive
reaction of the child. The chain illustrates and proves that the mother is compe-
tent to respond sensitively to her child’s positive (looking, smiling, reaching for
a toy) or negative (crying, fussing) signals. The mother’s sensitive reactions (e.g.,
smiling back, helping, or comforting) are acknowledged in the intervention, and
the relevance of these behaviors is explained. By getting adequate answers to
their needs, children feel understood. They learn to trust their parent, expecting
similar positive responses in the future. The last part of the chain, the positive
reaction of the child, is highlighted in the intervention too. These positive child
behaviors, for instance, a happy smile or stopping crying, are pointed out to the
mother as evidence that her reactions were adequate and appreciated by her
child. The chain also shows how important the mother is for the well-being of
her child: As a consequence of her actions the child is now satisfied, reassured,
or in a happy mood. Finally, it is explained to the mother that from a success-
ful sensitivity chain both interaction partners profit in terms of shared happy
moments, joy, and positive affect.
By explicitly acknowledging the mother as an expert on her own child, she
is encouraged to actively participate in the discussion. For example, when in
the second intervention session the intervener attempts to “speak for the child”
(Carter, Osofsky, & Hann, 1991), the mother is invited to take part and to pro-
vide “subtitles” for the baby’s signals and behavior as shown on the videotape.
For example, the intervener may ask how the mother would interpret the child’s
facial expression or gestures during a specific video fragment. Or, alternatively,
the intervener may ask the mother whether she agrees that her child looks, for
instance, curious or fascinated while playing with this toy, whether she also
noticed a triumphant look in her child’s eyes after a difficult accomplishment,
ER9416.indb 16 6/12/07 3:11:22 PM

or whether she agrees that her child’s gestures point to the wish to be physically
close to her, and so forth.
The themes are chosen in a way that the first two intervention sessions focus on
child behavior (e.g., by actively speaking for the child). The following two inter-
vention sessions are (also) directed at parental behavior, for example, by discuss-
ing parental behavior in a sensitivity chain. This specific order — starting with
child behavior before the focus is on parental behavior — is part of the VIPP
intervention: Showing and discussing parental behavior is postponed until the
parent and the intervener have had more time to build a working relationship.
Written information (Optional)
Several studies showed positive effects of attachment-based interventions using
written information (e.g., Lambermon & Van IJzendoorn, 1989; Riksen-Walraven,
1978). In the VIPP programs written information may be included in the inter-
vention. During one or more intervention sessions the parent may receive bro-
chures on sensitive parenting and on sensitive responding in daily situations, for
example, about crying and comforting or about playing together (see Chapters 3
and 6), tips for sensitive discipline (Chapter 11), or a personal book or individual
album (Chapters 8 and 9). In brochures or books, information may be found
about child development in a particular (clinical) group of children, parenting
tips, or suggestions for personal observations.
VIPP with an additional focus on sensitive discipline (VIPP-SD)

Background
After their first birthday toddlers increasingly express their autonomy needs
by acting independently, sometimes against the wishes and demands of their
parent(s). Whereas secure children generally are cooperative and compliant,
children’s insecurity and parental lack of sensitivity are associated with chil-
dren’s behavior problems (e.g., Erickson, Sroufe, & Egeland, 1985). To support
parents who have to cope with challenging child problem behaviors, VIPP with
an additional focus on sensitive discipline (VIPP-SD) was developed.
VIPP-SD is based on the integration of both attachment theory (Ainsworth et
al., 1978; Bowlby, 1969; see Chapter 1) and coercion theory (Patterson, 1982,
2002; see Chapter 11 for an extensive discussion of this theory). Coercion theory
describes how ineffective parental discipline results in increasingly difficult and
challenging child behavior (Patterson, 1982). VIPP-SD can be characterized as
a behaviorally oriented intervention using video feedback to promote parental
sensitivity as well as adequate discipline strategies during parent-child interac-
tions (see Chapter 11; Van Zeijl, Mesman, Van IJzendoorn et al., 2006).
ER9416.indb 17 6/12/07 3:11:22 PM

Video feedback
In this intervention modality, the video feedback aims at promoting sensitive
parenting and sensitive discipline in parent-child interactions. Each of the four
intervention sessions follows the video feedback using the VIPP themes and
guidelines (described above), integrating video feedback directed at sensitive dis-
cipline. The whole VIPP procedure of filming, reviewing, preparing comments,
and showing and discussing fragments with the mother applies to the video
feedback in the sensitive discipline component. However, additional guidelines
and intervention themes are used for the discipline part of the intervention.
Intervention themes
The video feedback focusing on sensitive discipline (VIPP-SD) consists of four
additional themes (see Table 2.1) that are elaborated during the four interven-
tion sessions (for a more detailed description, see Chapter 11): (1) inductive
discipline and distraction — recommending induction and distraction as non-
coercive responses to difficult child behavior or potentially conflict evoking situ-
ations; (2) positive reinforcement — praising the child for positive behavior and
ignoring negative attention seeking; (3) the use of a sensitive time-out to sensi-
tively de-escalate temper tantrums; and (4) empathy for the child, in particular
in consistent discipline and clear limit setting. For example, in the first session
the mother is encouraged to distract her child in case of challenging behavior
and direct the child’s attention to objects or situations that are allowed, thus
creating the opportunity for positive behaviors and interactions. At the same
time, the mother is encouraged to use induction; that is, the reasons for a pro-
hibition or parental intervention are made explicit (Eisenberg, 1992; Hoffman,
1984, 2000), thus helping the child to (gradually) understand the background of
parental rules and empathize with other people’s interests. In the Leiden VIPP-
SD intervention study two extra “booster” home visits (intervention sessions
5 and 6) were used to review all feedback and information from the first four
intervention sessions (see Chapter 11).
Written information (Optional)
In the VIPP-SD program, parents may be offered additional written informa-
tion. In the Leiden VIPP-SD study parents received a booklet including tips on
sensitive discipline. For example, following the theme of intervention session 2
(positive reinforcement) one of the tips encouraged parents to double their daily
compliments to the child.
ER9416.indb 18 6/12/07 3:11:23 PM

VIPP with additional representational discussions (VIPP-R)

Background
Parental (in)secure mental representations of attachment are associated with

parental (in)sensitivity and (in)secure infant-parent attachment relationships
(Main, Kaplan, & Cassidy, 1985; Van IJzendoorn, 1995; see also Chapter 1).
Therefore, intervention efforts may also be directed at the representational
level, addressing parental attachment representations, in order to pave the way
for subsequent behavioral changes. In particular in specific risk groups, such
as parents with insecure representations of attachment (Chapters 3 and 6), a
representational intervention component may be highly relevant. In the VIPP
program with an additional representational focus (VIPP-R) attachment discus-
sions are used as an intervention modality. Discussions about past and present
attachments may enable parents to reconsider their childhood experiences and
explore the links between those experiences and the developing relationship
with their baby (Fraiberg, Adelson, & Shapiro, 1975).
Attachment discussions
In this intervention modality, the video feedback and brochures used in VIPP
(described above) are followed by discussions about the mother’s attachment
experiences in her own childhood, and their possible influences on her present
parenting behavior. Each of the four intervention sessions thus starts with video
feedback and continues with the discussion part.
As a starting point, the intervention makes use of various materials, designed to
encourage and stimulate an open discussion about past and present attachment
relationships. The mother is invited to reflect on her own childhood experiences
through short questionnaires or projective material, followed by a discussion
about a specific theme. For example, during one visit the mother is invited to
read three fictional attachment biographies and elaborate on these stories and
her own experiences with her parents. The material and discussion themes are
based on attachment theory (Bowlby, 1982, 1988) and inspired by the biogra-
phies of “earned secure” persons (Pearson, Cohn, Cowan, & Cowan, 1994). Per-
sons with earned-secure representations of attachment report having had a hard
or unloving childhood, but they nevertheless succeeded in restructuring their
thoughts and feelings about these negative experiences. Ultimately, they appear
to be able to reflect on their childhood experiences coherently, thus showing a
secure representation of their attachment biography (Main & Goldwyn, 1994).
ER9416.indb 19 6/12/07 3:11:23 PM

The central focus of the representational part of the intervention is on the

parent’s representation of her attachment biography, that is, her thoughts and
feelings about attachment-related childhood and current parenting experiences.
The intervener tries to connect parental representations to the parent’s actual
parenting behavior and to explore together with the parent how past experi-
ences may influence current interactions with the child. The intervener offers a
supporting relationship by listening to the mother’s memories of the past and her
thoughts and feelings concerning her parents or her own child. Also, the parent
is provided with support, understanding, and opportunities to explore difficult
memories of the past, without criticizing possible negative feelings. By exploring
and acknowledging difficult childhood experiences the parent is encouraged to
reflect on the influence of these past experiences on her parenting behavior. She
is supported and stimulated to consider or practice new behaviors that are more
sensitively attuned to her child’s needs.
Intervention themes
In the VIPP-R attachment discussions four themes are passed in review (Table 2.1)
and elaborated during the four intervention sessions (for a case study, see Chap-
ter 3): (1) separations in the past, experienced as a child, and separations from
the baby in the present; (2) parenting in the past, experienced as a child, and
parenting in the present, experienced as a mother; (3) defining adult relation-
ships — the process of breaking away during adolescence and defining adult
relationships with the parents, including the mother’s own experiences with her
parents, as well as her expectations of the future relationship with her child; and
(4) child of my parents, parent of my child — the explicit link between “being
the child of my mother” and “being the mother of my child,” exploring which
childhood experiences the mother wants to transmit or not to transmit to her
child. For example, in the fourth session the mother is provided with cards con-
taining positive messages (e.g., “Come and sit on my lap”) and negative messages
(e.g., “If you don’t stop crying, I’ll leave you here”) (this task was adapted from
Erickson, Korfmacher, & Egeland, 1992). The mother is asked to choose those
messages that she had heard herself as a young child and also to choose mes-
sages to pass on to her own child. During the discussions the intervener tries
to address how in general children’s feelings of sadness or anger can be aroused
by negative messages from their parents, and how sad or angry the mother must
have felt when she got negative comments from her parents. Also, the possible
feelings of the baby are brought forward in case the mother chooses negative
messages to communicate to her own child.
In general, the discussion part of the VIPP-R intervention takes about an hour,
during which the infant may or may not be present. For infants the preceding
parts of the intervention session/home visit may have been so tiring that the
ER9416.indb 20 6/12/07 3:11:23 PM

parent prefers to put the child to bed before the discussion takes place. Thus,
VIPP-R home visits tend to last about two and a half hours, but longer visits are
not uncommon.
Conclusions
In this chapter we presented the Video-feedback Intervention to promote Posi-

tive Parenting (VIPP) programs, including a description of the intervention
methods. All VIPP programs utilize videotaped interactions of the parent and
child involved and video feedback — watching and discussing the videotape
together with the parent. The video feedback offers opportunities to practice
observational skills by watching child behavior together with the parent, and it
provides opportunities to reinforce the parent’s sensitive behavior.
Three VIPP modalities were presented: VIPP, VIPP-SD, and VIPP-R. VIPP aims
at enhancing parental sensitive behavior through providing personal video feed-
back, possibly combined with written information (e.g., brochures, booklets) on
sensitive responding in daily situations. VIPP-SD (VIPP combined with sensi-
tive discipline) includes an additional focus on the use of sensitive discipline in
challenging parent-child interactions. VIPP-R (VIPP combined with representa-
tional efforts) includes additional discussions about past and present attachment
relationships, aimed at affecting the parent’s mental representation of attach-
ment. The VIPP programs are usually directed at parents of infants, although
VIPP and VIPP-SD have been successfully used with toddlers and preschool
children. The VIPP programs are home based and short-term: The interven-
tions are implemented in the home of the family in a modest number of sessions,
usually four to eight.
ER9416.indb 21 6/12/07 3:11:23 PM

ER9416.indb 22 6/12/07 3:11:23 PM
3
A case study and process

evaluation of video
feedback to promote
positive parenting alone
and with representational
attachment discussions
M ariska Klein Velderman,

The case study of Sarah and her daughter Linda described in this chapter offers
an example of the implementation of four sessions of VIPP and VIPP-R in the
Leiden intervention study. The intervention aimed at enhancing sensitive par-
enting and infant security and restructuring maternal insecure mental repre-
sentations of attachment. Sarah’s participation in the intervention resulted in
positive effects on her sensitivity as well as on her daughter’s attachment secu-
rity. Overall, meta-analytic results demonstrate that short-term interventions
focusing on sensitive parenting are most effective (Bakermans-Kranenburg, Van
IJzendoorn, & Juffer, 2003; see Chapter 5). Positive effects on parental sensitivity
were accompanied by positive, albeit somewhat smaller effects on attachment
security. Because of the diverging outcomes of intervention studies, there is need
to look more closely at the processes leading to successes in enhancing sensitive
parenting and preventing or altering insecure attachment in young children.
By examining the program implementations and process evaluations of more
and less successful interventions (e.g., Lambermon, 1991; Lieberman, Weston,
ER9416.indb 23 6/12/07 3:11:23 PM

24 A case study and process evaluation of video feedback
& Pawl, 1991), we may gain more insight into effective components of interven-
tions and into the process of intergenerational transmission of attachment.
In this chapter we take a closer look at the processes of the intervention pro-
grams VIPP and VIPP-R as implemented in the Leiden intervention study (N =
81; see Chapter 6 for a description of the intervention effects). First, a case study
is provided of a mother who successfully participated in VIPP-R. Second, the
home visitors’ experiences during the home visits in the intervention groups are
described. The home visitors noted their impressions of the intervention ses-
sions in semistructured logbooks. Last, we present the results of a questionnaire
handed to the mothers after the intervention, evaluating the intervention as
experienced by the participating mothers.
Case study
Sarah participated in VIPP-R in the Leiden intervention study. In this study,

mothers were selected on the basis of their insecure mental representation of
attachment, measured with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; George,
Kaplan, & Main, 1985; Hesse, 1999). These mothers were therefore at risk for
insensitive parenting behavior and for transmitting their own insecure attach-
ment to their children. The VIPP-R focused on enhancing Sarah’s sensitive
parenting and her child’s security by providing her with four sessions of video
feedback and four parenting brochures, and additionally aimed at restructuring
Sarah’s insecure mental representation of attachment by discussing her past and
present attachment experiences (representational focus).
When she entered the study, Sarah was 28 years old. In her childhood, her
parents divorced, and from the age of 7 Sarah grew up with her mother, liv-
ing on welfare. Sarah’s mother had been hospitalized several times, and Sarah
had therefore lived with her grandmother for some time too. At the time of
the intervention, Sarah had finished general senior secondary education and
worked as an administrative employee for 20 hours per week. Sarah was classi-
fied as insecure-dismissing on the Adult Attachment Interview (George et al.,
1985; Hesse, 1999; Main & Goldwyn, 1994; see Chapter 1). She idealized the
negative experiences in her childhood and denied the influence of these expe-
riences on her own personality. Sarah was married to John, and they had a 6-
month-old daughter, Linda. Linda scored 2.8 on overall reactivity as measured
on the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ; Rothbart, 1981) at the pretest, and
with that score she belonged to the 20% most reactive infants participating
in our study (see Chapter 6). The IBQ assesses temperament by asking care-
givers about particular behaviors of infants, such as refusing unknown or new
food during meals. Highly reactive infants can be characterized as the more
ER9416.indb 24 6/12/07 3:11:24 PM

A case study and process evaluation of video feedback 25
negative emotional infants who respond easily distressed to limitations. In our

study, intervention effects were experimentally tested (see Chapter 6): The
intervention and control groups were compared on measures of pre- and post-
test maternal sensitivity (Ainsworth, Bell, & Stayton, 1974) and infant-mother
attachment as observed in the Strange Situation Procedure (Ainsworth, Blehar,
Waters, & Wall, 1978).
Pretest
At the pretest, Sarah was friendly and easygoing, but superficial in her contact
with the home visitor. Sarah acknowledged a few times that she was not used
to playing with Linda: “At this age they don’t play, they only put things in their
mouths.” The home visitor had the impression that the video recording was
therefore very difficult for Sarah. The home visitor noted that there was hardly
any mother-child interaction or communication. Moreover, little physical con-
tact seemed to exist. Linda was very unresponsive during this first home visit.
Eye contact between mother and child was almost absent.
For playing with Linda in a 10-minute free-play episode with toys, Sarah was
given a score of 3.5 on the Ainsworth sensitivity scale (Ainsworth et al., 1974),
scoring below the mean of our sample: 4.23 (SD = 1.27; N = 81). Sarah’s reactions
to Linda’s signals were mostly not prompt or adequate. Sarah found it hard to
adapt to Linda’s behavior. She moved Linda several times, was intrusive, and did
not offer any structure. Still, Linda also got some time to explore the unfamiliar
toys. Linda seemed overwhelmed by the situation.
After the pretest, the home visitor was not yet sure how to rate working with
Sarah. The home visitor rated her chances to change Sarah’s parenting behavior
as reasonable. There were some openings: Sarah was curious about how other
mothers handled things (e.g., playing together). When the home visitor said that
she had seen many children, Sarah remarked that she did not know much about
child development, for example, she wondered when children start crawling.
Video feedback
At the first intervention session, Sarah made some remarks before the video
intervention started. It seemed that the preceding recordings had triggered her
thinking. Sarah thought she “stuck her nose in” too often. She pointed it out on
the videotape: She should not have given a book while Linda was still playing
with the rattle. When Sarah explained why she moved Linda, “to be able to see
what she thinks of it,” the home visitor acknowledged that it is not just impor-
tant for a mother to see her child, but also for a child to see his or her mother.
ER9416.indb 25 6/12/07 3:11:24 PM

The goal of this session’s video feedback was to highlight the difference between
the child’s attachment behavior (e.g., contact seeking) and exploratory behavior
(e.g., playing). Sarah stated that she found it important for Linda to get a lot of
space to play by herself. The home visitor acknowledged the mother’s view, but
she also stressed the importance of contact and playing together, and she illus-
trated this with a short video fragment of a playful moment including reciprocal
eye contact. She explained to Sarah how important a mother is for a young,
dependent child such as Linda. Sarah seemed flattered. During this intervention
two brochures about children’s crying behavior were handed to Sarah.
In the second intervention session, Sarah was really interested and actively
joined the home visitor when the video fragments from the previous home visit
were shown. The home visitor used the technique of “speaking for the baby”
(Carter, Osofsky, & Hann, 1991) to draw Sarah’s attention to Linda’s more subtle
signals and expressions. She identified when Linda showed pleasure or distress.
During the previous visit, Sarah had dropped Linda on her head on a small
pillow. Sarah commented on that and showed sympathy when this particular
fragment was shown on the videotape. During this session, Linda was com-
municating a bit more and Sarah responded to Linda’s utterances and seemed
to enjoy it. She also seemed to be proud of her child. The home visitor felt that
Sarah had learned from the first session and noted in the logbook: “There is
more eye contact between mother and child. Sarah recognizes it when Linda
is looking and reacts with watching, smiling, or talking. A lot has happened!”
It seemed that Sarah was learning how to respond to the positive signals of her
child. In this session, Sarah was offered a brochure about the relevance of sensi-
tive parenting for children’s development.
At the third session, Sarah spontaneously noticed that the interaction looked
different this time, and she ascribed this to Linda being more capable because of
her age. Adequate and prompt reactions were central to this session’s video feed-
back. The home visitor emphasized that Linda’s behavior was related to Sarah’s
own behavior. She used “interaction chains” — consisting of a signal from
Linda, Sarah’s sensitive response, and Linda’s positive reaction to this response
— to highlight adequate responses. During play, for example, Linda showed that
she liked riding a horse on her mother’s lap, Sarah in turn repeated it, and Linda
made some noises of appreciation. The home visitor also complimented Sarah
on the way she played with Linda using toys. Sarah gave Linda time and space
to explore. Eye contact and a pleasant “being together” atmosphere were also
confirmed by the home visitor. Sarah said that she did not want a child who
always needed her. The video made her see that this was not the case. Linda
could do a lot by herself and every now and then looked for her. The home
visitor recognized a substantial difference between the first and present video
recordings. Sarah was less interfering and her reactions were more contingent
ER9416.indb 26 6/12/07 3:11:24 PM

and warm. She sympathized with negative signals and was “very proud of her
child.” The home visitor appreciated the contact with Sarah and noted in the
logbook: “It is nice to see how she enjoys her child now!” During the third home
visit a brochure about playing together was handed to Sarah.
During the fourth intervention session, Sarah’s reaction to the video fragments
was positive — she smiled a lot. While watching the tape, she acknowledged
that Linda had changed, she (again) thought because of her age. The message
central to this fourth session was sharing emotions. The information seemed
to get across to Sarah. The videotape was instructive: When Linda was tired
and whimpering, her mother comforted her. The video then showed a peaceful
“together” atmosphere, and Linda and Sarah had fun together. According to the
home visitor, Sarah was more capable of seeing things from Linda’s perspective
by the time of the fourth intervention session. She often interacted sensitively
and involved. Nevertheless, there were still moments that she did not feel like
it, put into words as “I am not in the mood for playing,” or that she teased Linda.
The home visitor hoped that she made Linda’s needs sufficiently clear to Sarah.
Attachment discussions
In each of the four home visits, the video-feedback intervention was followed by
an attachment discussion. The discussions started off a bit stiff at the first inter-
vention session. Sarah adopted a somewhat reserved and closed attitude during
the discussions. She would have rather not talked about her past: “I never think
about it anymore, it is the past.” Sarah felt that when she was young, she could
never become angry, because she expected her mother to have a heart attack if
she did. This resulted in Sarah bottling up her emotions and then finally hav-
ing an extreme outburst. Sarah’s worries were possibly related to the frequent
hospitalizations of Sarah’s mother during Sarah’s youth. The subjects of the dis-
cussion in this session were separations in childhood and in the present. The
discussion started when a picture of the Separation Anxiety Test (Hansburg,
1980) of a girl who was going to live with her grandmother, separated from her
parents, came into sight. During her childhood, Sarah had actually lived with
her grandmother. When the home visitor asked Sarah if she found it hard to
talk about this, she said no, but she acted as if she had meant the opposite. In
this part of the discussion, Sarah acknowledged the negative aspects of her past,
but she denied the effects on her own development.
The discourse of the discussion in the second intervention session went well,
smoother than in the first session. In contrast to the previous session, Sarah was
cooperative and more open. The way Sarah was brought up was central to this
session’s representational intervention. The home visitor used a questionnaire
ER9416.indb 27 6/12/07 3:11:24 PM

with propositions about the past to initiate the discussion. For example, Sarah
was asked to rate “My mum helped me if I needed her” on a 4-point scale from
“never” to “always.” Sarah liked to depict her mother positively, with sometimes
minimal proof. She idealized the past with her mother and seemed to lack an
emotional response. She was nevertheless capable of giving a concrete example
of Sarah’s mother showing her love for Sarah: When Sarah was ill during carni-
val, her mother painted her face and placed her in front of the window when her
school class came by. This way Sarah could join her classmates in the celebra-
tions. Later in the discussion, it turned out that Sarah had felt very much mis-
understood when her mother sent her to boarding school when she was 12 years
old. Before this age, Sarah had had to miss her mother a lot because her mother
had been in the hospital several times. According to Sarah, her mother could
not help that, but she could have kept Sarah out of boarding school, which she
did not. The home visitor agreed with Sarah that a child needs her mother and
has to be understood in this need.
Sarah spoke of her father as a stranger instead of a father. She could only remem-
ber material things. She reproached her father for not taking care of his daughter
and exposing her to bad or dangerous circumstances. Her father drank and had
driven around with Sarah in his car while he was drunk, ending up at the police
station. The home visitor sympathized with Sarah’s difficulties with her father.
The home visitor also linked the discussion to the present situation: Linda did
have a father present. Sarah reacted that at first she had found it difficult to
allow Linda’s father, John, to do rearing tasks by commenting “I can do it by
myself,” but now she was happy that her child had a mother as well as a father.
At the third session, Sarah’s attitude was again friendly, open, and quite accept-
ing. Sarah and the home visitor talked about the past, breaking away from this
past, and the influence of the past on the present. Sarah showed anger when she
talked about the day she gave birth to Linda. Sarah had told her mother that she
hoped to do better than her mother had done. Sarah’s mother had been upset
by this remark. The home visitor acknowledged that it was indeed a very hard
message, although she could also understand Sarah’s feelings.
After the fourth intervention session, the home visitor assigned high ratings
for a good and smooth discourse, and she rated Sarah’s behavior as friendly
and cooperative. In the discussion part of this session, the home visitor helped
Sarah focus on the link between being the daughter of her parents and being
the mother of Linda. The home visitor provided Sarah with messages she might
have heard from her parents. She was asked to select the messages she remem-
bered hearing and she was also encouraged to choose messages that she wished
she had heard. During her youth, Sarah had missed her mother saying to her
that she could always count on her. Her mother had told Sarah: “Find yourself
ER9416.indb 28 6/12/07 3:11:24 PM

another mother.” The home visitor supported Sarah and acknowledged that this
was a very difficult message because her mother was all Sarah had at that time.
Next, the discussion was brought round to the present situation. According to
Sarah, something her mother did not say to her and she did say to Linda now
was the suggestion “Shall we play together?” This was especially remarkable,
taking into consideration Sarah’s remarks at the pretest that she was not used to
playing with Linda.
The home visitor characterized Sarah as angry about her past and attachment
figures, whereas she also idealized her past experiences. Over the last sessions,
the home visitor had helped Sarah explore her past and present and had been
supportive of her. They had worked on recognition and consciousness of nega-
tive experiences from Sarah’s childhood. The home visitor had tried to let Sarah
relive her painful feelings from the past and work toward acknowledgment of
the influence of youthful experiences on her personal development and current
parenting behavior. At the end of the fourth session, the home visitor noted
that she had reached a depth in the discussions with Sarah that had not been
possible in discussions with many other mothers. The home visitor had found it
very satisfactory to work with Sarah during the intervention sessions.
Posttest
On the posttest, Sarah scored 5.25 on the Ainsworth sensitivity scale (Ain-
sworth et al., 1974). A score of 5 on this scale equals inconsistent sensitivity.
Although Sarah had shown a remarkable increase of almost two scale points,
she was still not always consistent in her prompt and adequate responses. In
the Strange Situation Procedure (Ainsworth et al., 1978) Linda was assigned a
secure B2 classification.
In the evaluation questionnaire, Sarah was one of the seven mothers who were
of the opinion that the intervention took a lot of time. However, she was satis-
fied with the number of home visits (four visits) and with the parenting bro-
chures. Sarah was very positive about the video feedback. She felt that she had
learned a lot from this part of the intervention. She evaluated the filming as
nice, not disturbing, and interesting. She liked watching the video fragments
with the home visitor. Sarah was less enthusiastic about the attachment discus-
sions. She thought talking about the past was not pleasant, but at the same time
neither hard nor inconvenient. Sarah’s comment at the end of the question-
naire was that she had liked participating in this study. She found it hard in the
beginning, but later not anymore. She felt that she had benefited from the video
feedback as well as from the discussion part of the intervention.
ER9416.indb 29 6/12/07 3:11:25 PM

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The Project Gutenberg eBook of Jack Carstairs of the
power house
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and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
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you are located before using this eBook.
Title: Jack Carstairs of the power house

A tale of some very young men and a very young industry
Author: Sydney Sandys
Illustrator: Stanley L. Wood
Release date: April 14, 2024 [eBook #73393]
Language: English
Original publication: London: Methuen & Co, 1909
Credits: Al Haines
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JACK CARSTAIRS

OF THE POWER HOUSE ***
HE PASSED HIS FOREARM ACROSS THE GIPSY'S THROAT PAGE 21
JACK CARSTAIRS
OF THE POWER HOUSE
A TALE OF SOME VERY YOUNG MEN
AND A VERY YOUNG INDUSTRY
BY
SYDNEY SANDYS
WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS BY

STANLEY L. WOOD
SECOND EDITION
METHUEN & CO.

36 ESSEX STREET W.C.
LONDON
Colonial Library
First Published ... October 14th, 1909
Second Edition ... November 1909
DEDICATED
IN ALL DEFERENCE
TO
THE MEMORY OF THAT VERY GREAT ENGLISHMAN
GEORGE STEPHENSON
ENGINEER
INVENTOR OF THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE, AND OF
THE TOOLS TO CONSTRUCT IT
FIGHTER OF MEN AND CIRCUMSTANCES
PIONEER OF THE RAILWAY
PREFACE
I have endeavoured to show you the engineer, in two phases,

as I have met him: it is for you, gentlemen with the votes, to
decide which you prefer; for you have to have one of them,
and his numbers are increasing at a high rate of acceleration.
JACK CARSTAIRS
OF THE POWER HOUSE
CHAPTER I
A young engineer stood at the gates of the electric power house yard
watching the sun set. It was the middle of June, in the north of Scotland,
where the summer days are very long and very beautiful.
The sun sank slowly behind a little wooded hill, throwing into strong
relief a clump of fir trees at the summit, and making lanes of golden light
along the sparkling rushing river where the silver salmon leapt in sportive
joy. As the last edge of the sun disappeared behind the hill, a sudden hush
seemed to descend on all the land. The power house was about a mile from
the little town that nestled at the foot of the hills. It was a bare, brick
building standing alone on the river-bank in the middle of a large tract of
waste moorland. Inside, a stalwart, bearded highlander sat on a box eating
his "piece," and drinking tea from a can; he and the young engineer at the
door were the only occupants of the place. There was no machinery
running, a battery was doing the work, for the needs of this little town in
summer time were very small.
The young man at the door gazed around him enchanted with the beauty
of the evening; the sudden hush that fell on everything seemed to strike him
too. He felt subdued with a great awe, the great and awful majesty of
Nature seemed thrust upon him suddenly; only the faint rustle of the long
grass near the water served to make the stillness more intense; some crisis
in Nature seemed impending.
Suddenly a strange note struck his ear, and immediately afterwards all
the usual sounds of life started afresh; a robin and a thrush commenced to
sing simultaneously, several birds started chirping all around, a salmon
splashed heavily in the river, the distant moo of a cow was borne in upon
his ears, the Scotsman inside moved his box with a harsh creak: all these
things seemed to start off at once, as though some tension were removed,
some crisis past.
The engineer looked in the direction of the sound that had at first broken
the stillness and perceived a young girl, with a basket on her arm, raking
over the heaps of ashes outside the boiler-house in search of stray bits of
coal or coke.
He looked at her intently, with an unusual interest. There was a gipsy

camp not far off, and some members of the tribe were usually hovering
round the works for what they could pick up; as a rule they were very
young and very dirty. This girl seemed about seventeen, and somewhat
clean; every movement showed graceful, even lines. He strolled towards
her.
"Looking for coal?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," she answered.
She stood up and looked him in the eyes steadily.
He looked at her steadily too, and so they stood; brown eyes gazing into
grey. He wondered greatly at the singular clearness of hers, big, and of a
marvellous shade of dark brown, the white absolutely clear; the colour like
some beautifully tinted crystal. He noticed eyes, and he gazed into hers for
some time, dispassionately, as something inanimate, noting their marvellous
perfection.
He smiled with pleasure, and instantly noted a gleam of pleasure in her

eyes also. Then he shifted his gaze and took in a general impression of the
face. It was remarkably beautiful, every feature was even and in perfect
harmony. The eyebrows were delicately pencilled lines of deepest black.
The eyelashes unusually long, they drooped downwards, and as he looked
at her, the whole head took a gentle bend downwards in natural and graceful
modesty before the open admiration in his eyes.
"You won't find much there. Come over here," he said. He led the way
to the coal heap. She followed in silence.
"Help yourself," he said grandly, with a wave of the arm, giving away
what didn't belong to him. As a general rule he was consistently
conscientious in these details, but under the influence of those eyes he cast
honesty to the four winds of heaven.
"Thank you, sir," she said, and stooped to fill her basket.
The graceful movements and even poise of her figure appealed to him
immensely. He was somewhat of an athlete, and he noted with pleasure the
firm fulness of the arms (which were bare to the elbow), and the throat and
neck (which were quite unprotected). Her jet black hair hung down below
her waist in heavy, wavy tresses. Her short black skirt (faded to almost a
light green) showed a neat ankle and fair proportion of shapely leg. He
stood back and watched her closely. The skin, where it was visible about the
face and throat, was rather dark, probably dirty, he thought, yet it did not
seem offensive, though he was usually fastidious in such things. He took
life very seriously did this young man, very seriously indeed; he was bent
on making his fortune, his fortune and a name—nothing less. He was
nineteen; older than his years in many things, younger in a lot.
The gipsy girl stood up. "Thank you, sir," she said again, and moved
haltingly towards the gate, glancing up at him with her big brown eyes and
dropping them again as she caught his.
"Don't go!" he said, stepping forward. "Put that basket down and come
in and have a look at the engines. Have you ever seen a dynamo? An
electric machine, you know. Thing that makes the light for those big lamps
in the street."
"I've seen them at the shows."
"Shows?" he repeated, questioningly.
"Roundabouts," she explained.
"Oh!" he said. "That's nothing. Come in here!"
She put down the basket and followed him with a look of pleasure. She
glanced furtively at the roof as they passed through the doorway, and
stepped quickly close up to him, her eyes rolled widely round in obvious
apprehension. He looked at her with amusement.
She caught his eye and smiled too. "Lovely," she said, as she glanced
round the clean and well-kept little engine-room. "Lovely," she repeated, as
her eyes were held by the bright lacquered copper switches and instruments
set on the enamelled slate switchboard.
"It's like a church."
He looked at her quickly. "Have you ever been to church?"
"I've been inside and I've looked in through the windows," she
answered.
"What do you do on Sundays?" he asked.
"Nothing."
"I work on Sundays, the same as any other day," he said.
"It's wicked to work on Sunday," she said.
"Or any other time," he added, smiling.
"Gipsies don't do much work," she admitted, smiling too.
"I think I'll turn gipsy."

"You'll go a long way before you see gipsies your colour," she said,
glancing at his fresh face and light brown hair.
He held out his hand suddenly. "Look here! Tell my fortune, will you?"
She took him by the wrist and gazed at his palm earnestly for some
minutes seeming to feel his pulse all the while.
"Good," she said, "very good," and dropping his hand, moved to the
door.
He looked at her curiously, the fun had faded from her face, the liquid
eyes seemed heavily shaded with sorrow. He stepped after her.
"Do you people really believe what you say?" he asked.
"Yes. Good, very good—for you," she answered, and passed through the
door. With the sky overhead and the air of heaven on her face, she altered at
once. "Thank you, sir, for the coal." She smiled brightly.
"Don't mention it," he said. "Come over again, will you? I want to talk
to you." He looked into her eyes and she flushed with pleasure under the
tan, or dirt, whichever it was.
He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a cake of chocolate (that
was one of the things in which he was younger than his years). "I say, do
you eat chocolate?"
She took it shyly.
He watched her bite a piece off and noticed the even regularity of her
teeth, and the perfect shape of her mouth, though the lips were somewhat
full.
"When will you come again? To-morrow? Oh! I forgot! To-morrow I

shall be on all night. Will you come over early in the morning, or any time
between midnight and eight o'clock in the morning? I'll bring you down
some chocolate, if you like it."
"Thank you, sir."
"Will you come?"
"Yes," she answered, and her head took a gentle droop downwards, half
averted, the long lashes swept her cheek and a rich red flushed beneath the
russet brown of her skin.
He looked at her with pleasure, he felt his own colour rising a little too.
He experienced a strange thrill, he felt older somehow, a sense of
responsibility, of protection.
She turned and went away, glancing back over her shoulder as she went.
He went inside, and spoke to the Scotsman. "We'll put the engine on
now, Mac." He busied himself with the engine and the switchboard. The girl
was lost to sight and memory, but a sense, a something remained.
Next day the young engineer went on duty at midnight; he passed the
gipsy camp on his way; four caravans stood silent and dark, and five ragged
tents showed faint and ghostly in the moonlight, a fire smouldered in one
corner. At the works he relieved another young man like himself, and the
bearded highlander. They put on their hats and coats and bade him good-
night, and he was left alone, all alone in the dimly lighted engine room with
nothing running, everything still, except for the ghostly, uncanny rattle of
the steam condensing in the now idle steam pipes.
Going into the little room which served as office, mess room, and test
room combined, he took off his hat and coat and rolled back his shirt
sleeves. He was a well built young man, standing just on six feet in his
boots, with regular, handsome features and strong, prominent chin and
nose; the arms that he exposed to view were substantial and very muscular,
the hands were spread by the use of hand tools, they were not pretty, but
very strong and serviceable. He walked briskly out and carefully looked all
round—the plant, the switchboard, the engines, the recording instrument,
the battery and boilers; he opened the furnace doors and gazed in at the fires
to see that they were properly "banked;" then he went round with a
scribbling block and took the meter readings, carefully entering them in the
log book; then he opened the door and stepped out into the northern
summer night.
He looked round on the fair prospect with extreme pleasure, the hills all
round with the mountains in the background, the irregular patches of wood,
the few straggling houses showing white and distinct in the moonlight, the
little town close by with its few twinkling lights; all spoke to him of peace
and pleasure yet strangely, too, of ambition. He would own one of those
houses on the hillside as a summer resort. Time would tell, he had no doubt,
he was quite confident, he felt it in him. He worked while other fellows
played. Worked! Lord! Yes! he stoked boilers and drove engines, he cleaned
brass work and did navvies' work, all for ten shillings per week. He smiled,
the idea did not depress him in the least.
Suddenly the figure of a girl appeared round the corner of the building.
The gipsy girl, he knew her figure at once. He knew she would come, but
he had not expected her at this hour.
She advanced slowly, shyly; as she turned the corner she had been
active, full of life; she seemed to droop as she caught sight of him standing
alone in his shirt sleeves in the moonlight. She came close up and stood
before him.
"I've come," she said.
She raised her eyes and looked into his—they seemed all alight,
veritably to sparkle like gems.
He was rather taken aback, but did not show it; his features were
impassive, he also felt a tingling of the pulses, and his eyes showed that as
he looked into hers.
"Come inside," he said; he led the way, he wanted time to think.
"This way," he continued. She followed him, a pace to the rear.
He led the way into the little office and pulled out a chair. "Sit down,"
he said.
She sat down, somewhat uncomfortably, somewhat nervously, as one
who was not used to it.
Going to his coat hanging on the wall he took a packet of chocolate

from it. She watched him with a sort of dog-like observance.
"Here you are," he said. He handed her the chocolate, drew another
chair out, and sat down facing her.
"What have you been doing all day?"
"Gathering sticks," she answered. He noticed that she did not speak with
her mouth full, it seemed a natural refinement, perhaps because she
observed him carefully finish munching a piece of chocolate before he put
the question to her—anyhow she did the same.
They sat and looked at each other in silence for some minutes. He was
observing her very closely; he noticed that her hands were clean,
comparatively; they were not large and very well shaped, it was obvious
that she did not do much work; everything about her denoted natural grace
and, it seemed to him, refinement; but ever and anon her eyes rolled widely
round, taking in everything; in this confined atmosphere, sitting on this
made-to-order chair, she was obviously not at ease.
He drew his chair up closer to her and looked into her eyes. "You're
very beautiful. Are all gipsy girls beautiful?"
She flushed, gave her head a little toss, slightly imperious. "My mother
is the Queen of the gipsies."
"Then you are a princess. You look it. Tell me what you do all day."
"Nothing," she answered, simply.
"That's good," he laughed.
"What do you do?" she asked.
"Everything," he said, and laughed again.

"Where do you come from?"
"England, the south of England, Gloucestershire. Have you been there?"
"Yes," she answered. "I've been through Gloucestershire and

Somersetshire and Devonshire and Warwickshire and Staffordshire. I've
been all round England and Scotland."
His eyes lighted up. "Have you been to Cheltenham?"
"Yes," she said, and told him about it and the country round; she seemed
to have observed everything. They talked of the counties and the people, the
fields and the woods, the birds and beasts, till she stood up and pushed the
chair back.
"I don't like this—let's go out and sit on the wall by the river."
So they went outside and sat on the little low wall with the smooth
cement top that marked the tunnel where the water pipes went into the
works.
They sat down side by side, eating chocolates and saying nothing,
looking at the east and watching the sky begin to lighten with the first faint
indication of dawn. All was hushed, and silent the river at their feet swirled
past in glassy, rapid smoothness, on the opposite bank the sedges stirred and
rustled stealthily, just moved by the scarcely perceptible breeze.
They sat there for a long time, exchanging occasional remarks and
lapsing long between replies. The spirit of the night, the silent, pensive
night, seemed on the girl and he did not want to talk. The cloak of peace
was around her; she was at one with nature; she laughed in the sunshine and
wept in the rain. To the young engineer the silence of the night had a very
different message; this universal peace and stillness spoke to him,
somehow, of strife, vigorous strife, of great difficulties attempted and
overcome, of progress, eternal progress; he made many resolves of what he
would do, and the more he had done, the more, he felt, he would be able to
enjoy these moments of rest and reflection. Some day he would marry, and
this was the sort of girl he would like, a refined and educated edition of this;
some one with a soul, a mind, and a body, not a mere clothes-horse. Her
remarks had shown a natural refinement, a depth of feeling and thought that
exactly suited his own, she appreciated nature and that was the foundation
of all things to him.
The dawn was rapidly brightening; on the opposite side of the river a
stoat poked an inquiring nose through the long grass at the top of the bank.
Silently the girl gripped his arm and pointed to it, together they watched it
come cautiously into full view sniffing the air; very slowly, very cautiously,
it made its way, its head upraised, moving with a graceful swaying motion
from side to side; it was the caution of the pursuer and not of the pursued,
there was no terror in it. The young engineer watched it in fascination, then
it disappeared again in the grass.
"The stoat gets a better time than the rabbit," he propounded, after a
thoughtful pause.
"Rabbits!" she said, in disgust, "rabbits are good to eat, that's all.
Everything kills rabbits, they play and play and never think—I've watched
them for hours and hours."
He jumped up. "I must go and have a look round inside now." He
looked at her steadily with approval, and more; there was a light in her eyes
as she looked up at him too.
"Will you come over to-morrow night?" he asked. There was a touch of
suspense in his voice.
"Yes," she said.
"Good-bye then," he held out his hand.
She took it somewhat shyly.
He held her rather long, looking at her thoughtfully, he seemed in doubt,

then he slowly released her hand and turned away. "Good-bye till to-
morrow then," he said.
"Good-bye," she answered.
Next night he was outside before half-past twelve, waiting. He saw her
leave the camp and come towards him springing lightly from tuft to tuft
over the rough ground.
"Hullo!" she said, and looked up at him, her wondrous eyes beaming
pleasure.
"How are you?" he answered, gravely, shaking hands. The limitations of

the Englishman bound him fast. "Come inside," he continued.
She drew back with a little expression of repugnance. "I don't like
houses," she said.
"I've got some sweets in there. Come in and get them, and then we'll go
outside again."
She followed him meekly, and he took her into the little office and tilted
the contents of four different little bags on to a clean newspaper.
"There you are!" he said.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, with childish glee.
He shovelled them into the bags again and handed them to her.
"There you are, those are for you; now we'll go outside."
"You take some too." She opened the bags and held them out to him.
"Thanks," he answered, gravely selecting two or three from each packet.
They walked in silence to the door, then he paused under the lamp.
"Look here, you never told my fortune. Finish it, will you?"
She stopped and looked at the hand he held out under the light. "I don't
know very much yet. You're very strong."
"Fairly," he agreed, doubling up his biceps. "You said I had a good
fortune. How do you know that?"
"By the feel," she answered. She took him by the wrist again and
seemed lost in wonder. "Think of what you'd like," she said.
He shut his eyes and conjured up his favourite vision. A great industrial
centre; a huge machinery shop; teeming workmen, strong and greasy; and
himself in the centre, thinking, feeling, living for it all.
"Oh!" she said.
He opened his eyes to find her gazing at him in open wonder and
astonishment.
"Have you ever had a wild rabbit in your hands and felt its heart beat?"
"Can't say that I have."
"I have. And a weasel and a stoat with their heads tied. And cats and
dogs and birds and all sorts. You feel like a dog, a trained fighting dog when
he's going to fight—and win."
He smiled, somewhat indulgently. "Very probably," he said. "I'm a bit of

a sportsman, football, and that sort of thing, you know. I've got a pistol in
there; I put in time shooting rats along the river bank when I'm by myself
and not reading."
"Come on down by the river bank now and I'll show you some birds'
nests. I found them to-day."
"Wait till it gets lighter," he answered. "We'll climb up that hill and
watch the sun rise."
So they started off together across the intervening space of moorland,

the tall athletic young man and the slender graceful girl, and the great silver
moon looked down at it all with a parental smile, as he has on countless
such scenes since the birth of man.
"I'll race you," the engineer said.
"All right," she answered, and broke into a run, bounding lightly over
the rough ground like a young deer. But the trained athlete kept pace with
her easily, he did not pass her, but kept a pace behind; she glanced back and
sprinted faster; still he hung on her rear till they were within a hundred
yards of the hill.
"A final spurt," he said, and she bounded away again. He could have
passed her then, too, but he did not.
"I won," she said.
"Yes, you won," he agreed, looking at her with marked approval. Her
head was thrown back a little and her breast heaved steadily, taking great
deep long, breaths. She was slightly flushed and her eyes sparkled brightly.
They had run a quarter of a mile, and without a pause they went straight up
the hill taking it quickly and easily.
It took them a quarter of an hour to get to the top, up the zigzag, stony
pathway through the pine wood. She led the way and brought him out to a
little clearing at the head of a miniature precipice.
"There!" she said, and pointed up the valley of the river straight at the
lightening dawn.
"Grand!" he ejaculated, and they sat down side by side on the bed of
soft brown pine needles where the ground sloped gradually towards the
cliff. The deep gloom of the pine wood closed behind them like a curtain;
down below, at their feet, they could see the tops of the trees in the gorge;
out in front spread the beautiful valley with the silent river threading its way
down the heart of it.
They sat and gazed in silence, listening to the indistinct rustle of

nocturnal life in the wood behind them, and the air above: a rustle of leaves,
a faint crackle of twigs, a little scream, and some woodland tragedy was
past and gone, some tiny life was sped.
An owl hooted above them many times, long-drawn, awe-inspiring,
suited to the night.
"That's a brown owl," she said.
"How do you know it's not a barn owl?" he asked.
She looked at him in wonder. "Why! it's a different tune."
"Tune?" he repeated, in amusement. "I didn't know there was any

difference," he added, apologetically.
"Listen!" she commanded, holding his arm suddenly. There was a flutter
of wings in a tree not far away, a little agonized scream, then all was silent.
"That's a weasel, or a stoat got a bird," she explained.
"Weasels don't climb trees," he said.
"Don't they?" she asked, in amused sarcasm.
"I didn't know," he admitted, meekly.
The dawn was brightening rapidly, lighting up all the valley, turning the
sombre river to a thread of silver, throwing out the white farmhouses into
strong relief, stirring birds and beasts to a new life.
They stood up and gazed over it enchanted.
"Look at that man!" she said.
He followed the direction of her finger. "I can't see a man."
"There in the yard, carrying a pail."
"Good Lord! I can see a bit of a black dot, that is all."
She laughed with amusement. "A black dot," she repeated. "What's the
matter with your eyes?"
He looked into her marvellous orbs with wonder and admiration. "I'm
usually considered to have good eyes," he said, "but they're not in it with
yours. You must be related to the golden eagle."
"I've seen a golden eagle's nest, and killed one too."
He pulled out his watch. "By Jove! I must get back to the works,
somebody will be stealing the dynamos, or the coal," he added, looking at
her with a sudden smile.
She smiled too and they disappeared into the wood, down the stony
paths and across the bit of moorland. He stopped at the gate of the works
and held out his hand.
"Good-bye."
"Good-bye."
He held her hand, looking into her eyes. "You'll come again to-
morrow?"
"Yes," she answered, steadily looking at him with her wonderful eyes.
Still retaining his grip of her hand, he pulled her gently towards him.
She came, somewhat reluctantly; the colour overspread her face. There
was doubt in her eyes. He passed his disengaged arm round her neck and
kissed her on her full red lips.
A wild wonder sprang to her eyes. "Gipsies don't kiss," she said, as she
gazed at him.
"Don't they?" he said, "then I'll do it again in case you forget," and he
did, a long kiss. He looked at her in astonished admiration, the deep colour
that mantled on her cheek, and the vivid light in her eyes made a picture the
like of which he had never seen.
She turned away and bounded off across the moorland to her people's
camp. He watched her with bright eyes, she turned and waved a hand to
him then disappeared among the caravans. He went into the little works
very thoughtful for he knew that he was violently in love with this beautiful
girl—this child of nature, and he seemed up against a blank wall.
He paced the little engine room slowly, chin on breast, gazing unseeing
at the tiles on the floor. "I'll tell her not to come again," he said to himself.
For he was a very conscientious and a very ambitious young man.
That was decided. He threw back his shoulders and raised his head with
a feeling of relief. Going out into the boiler house, he opened the furnace
doors, and taking a fire rake in his hands, pushed back the banked fires and
spread them over the grates, he sprinkled a few shovels full of coal over
them, opened the dampers, blew down the gauge glasses, and went into his
little office again to read.
Mostly he read technical works, but the book he picked up now

contained the life story of George Stephenson. There was a full page
portrait in it too: this fascinated the young engineer—he gazed at it long and
earnestly. To him it seemed the face of the greatest of all Englishmen, of all
men; statesmen, soldiers, philosophers, none of them had left such a
monument behind them, none had done so much for civilization as this
great man whose features he gazed upon. "And he was a fighter, too," he
said to himself. "Beat the prize fighter bully of his village, and without
training. He must have been always fit and lived very straight and clean."
He put down the book and went outside.
The sun was now bright and powerful, but still low down in the sky. The
young engineer gazed all around at the fairy scene, enchanted with the
beauty of the landscape; yet he carried in his mind's eye still the frontispiece
of the book, a strong, sturdy figure, and a firm, composed, yet kindly face.
The picture seemed to haunt him. "The ideal engineer," he said to himself,
"would never get angry, only think, think, deeper and deeper. He would be
absolutely firm, but not a brute. The engineer must handle men as well as
material, and this north country collier did it!" He felt his biceps. "A great
engineer of to-day has laid it down that physical fitness is the essential
ground work of engineering success."
"Why not me too?" he asked himself.

Next night the gipsy girl appeared earlier than usual, he was not outside,
and she ventured timidly in, walking on tip-toe, her eyes glancing quickly
all round her. She advanced to the foot of the switchboard steps and stayed
there.
He saw her then and went down to speak to her. She held out her hand.
He took it gravely. She looked up at him underneath her long lashes, then
her eyes drooped, the colour mounted to her cheek, she let her hand rest
limply in his. He looked at her steadily for a minute, holding her hand, then
he drew her towards him and kissed her.
"You like kissing," he said. She looked up at him with all her soul in her
wonderful dark eyes.
"Yes—you," she said, simply.
"Go and sit down, I've got some work to do yet. My coat's hanging up in
the office there. There's some sweets in the pocket, take them out."
She went like an obedient child.
In ten minutes' time he went to her. "We'll go up on the hill again," he

said, "and you shall tell me what all the sounds and squeaks and all that we
hear in the wood mean."
So they started off, and at the edge of the wood a dusky shape
scampered off from the grass and disappeared into the gloom.
"What's that?" he asked.
"Badger," she answered, promptly, in some surprise.
They commenced the ascent of the steep, stony path.
"Supposing I broke my leg, what would you do?" he asked.
"Carry you," she said.
"Think you could?"

She laughed, and going close up to him, put her arms round him and
lifted him easily.
"Well done," he said.
They went to the top and sat down again in the old place, the little
clearing, overlooking the valley. They sat for some time in silence.
"Who are you going to marry?" she asked.
He looked at her sharply. "Poor little devil," he thought, "is it possible

—" Then he looked into her eyes very steadily, rather sadly. "I haven't any
idea who I shall marry, yet," he said. "Probably some girl that I shall meet at
home, some girl who lives in a house about the same size that my father
lives in. A girl who reads and writes, and perhaps plays the piano and sings,
who can look after a house and manage servants and see that everything is
looked after properly. That is," he added, thoughtfully, "if I can ever make
enough money to keep such a girl."
She was silent, and he thought perhaps he had been too brutal.
"I hope that she will be as beautiful and graceful as you, but one can't
have everything."
"What does your father do?" she asked, and her tone was one of
interested inquiry simply.
"He's a parson."
"Keeps a church?"
"Exactly, or the church keeps him."
"I can play the fiddle and concertina and sing," she said.
"Can you?" he asked, in surprise.
"Yes, father says I'm good."

"I've no doubt you are," he said, with some amusement. He wondered
what the gipsy standard of music was.
Suddenly he noticed her raise her head, listening intently, he watched

her with interest; the delicate nostrils quivered, she seemed to be smelling
something.
"There's someone in the wood," she said.
"All right. Let 'em stop there."
"Come into the dark," she whispered. She moved silently into the
shadow of the pine trees.
He was getting up to follow her when a rough looking man in a round

fur cap, a suit with big poacher pockets to the coat and gaiters protecting his
trousers, and carrying a big stick under his arm, came out into the
moonlight.
"So I've caught you, have I?"
"What do you mean?" The young engineer's tone was angry, imperious.
"You knows, you an' that girl. I seen her go away." Without more ado,
he rushed viciously at the engineer and lashed out a sweeping blow with his
bludgeon.
The young athlete sprang nimbly aside, and as the gipsy turned to make
a second onslaught, the girl came out of the darkness of the wood behind
and sprang on his back like a wild cat, pulling him over backwards and
wrenching the stick from his grasp. She threw it to the engineer. "Take
that," she said, "and watch him."
The gipsy, cursing and spitting like an angry cat, lashed out with his feet
and caught the girl in the ribs.
With a little sob, like a punctured balloon, she sank down, a huddled,
helpless heap. The gipsy lashed out again at her and then scrambled to his
feet.
The engineer stood over him. "You swine," he said, and he brought the
stick down over the man's shoulders for all he was worth. It was ash and
very stout; there was not much "give" in it. He gave a coughing gasp, then
closed with his assailant.
They wrestled fiercely. The gipsy was shorter and not so heavy, but
exceedingly strong; he strove to work the engineer backwards towards the
cliff, his hands sought his throat.
The girl sat up. "Mind the edge," she screamed. "Throw him over."
The engineer had dropped the stick, he passed his forearm across the
gipsy's throat and forced his head backwards so that to save his neck or his
back the man had to relax his grip. Instantly the engineer dealt him a severe
blow on the chin with his fist.
The gipsy staggered backwards.
The latent savagery of the chimpanzee and the fierce deep passion of
the sportsman who had been "fouled" were aroused side by side in the
breast of the young engineer. He sprang forward again and struck the falling
man another furious blow; he seemed to yield easily; it was almost like
striking the empty air. There was not that sense of springy resistance which
is the whole source of pleasure in a blow well delivered and reaching well
home.
With a sudden chilling of the blood he realized that the man was over
the edge, falling downwards on to the trees. He felt sick with horror and
tried to throw himself back, only to discover that the impetus of his own
forward progress was too much for him. He slowed up and hung for (it
seemed to him) many minutes just balanced, then gradually tilted forwards
towards the tops of the trees that showed down below in the faint light of
the rising dawn. He seemed to be moving very slowly—slowly, forwards.
He glanced out over the valley below him and got a clear impression of the
view; he saw an owl flit past between himself and the tree tops; he heard it
hoot, its long drawn, melancholy hoot. Then he felt a sudden jerk behind,
something pulled him backwards, he felt his centre of gravity shift till his
legs had control of his body again. Then the blood rushed from his heart
with a mighty bound; he sank down on the soft bed of the weather-browned
pine needles.
"Good God!"
The girl leaned over him, her eyes alight. "I thought I was over too," she
said.
"I thought that brute had killed you," he said.
She stretched herself and suddenly relaxed with a little gasp. "I'm all
right. I've got a pain, that's all."
The horror of the whole situation was suddenly borne in upon him.
"Holy God!" he said. "That's man killed."
"I hope so," she said.
"Hush!" he said, "you mustn't say that. If he is, I'm a murderer."
"Then I hope he's not."
"Who is he?" he asked.
"My sweetheart—the man I'm going to marry—if he's alive," she

answered, simply.
"Oh! Great God in heaven!" he said, and he held out his hands to the
rising sun, gazing out on the smiling valley and beautiful hills in the
peaceful stillness of the early dawn.
CHAPTER II
They wended their way slowly down the steep path, the girl giving little
gasps of pain at every few steps.
"Look here!" he said, "you're damaged. Let me carry you."
"I'm all right. I've got a pain, that's all."
"Rot!" he said, and without more ado he picked her up in his arms. She
was very light considering the strength she had displayed. "Say how you are
easiest," he said.
"Quite easy like this," she answered.
So they proceeded slowly down the stony, rocky hillside, the girl
cradled in his arms with her arms round his neck easing her weight as much
as possible.
He had to stop and rest frequently, laying her gently on a bed of pine
needles or moss.
"You're very strong," she said.
"Yes, by God, too strong sometimes," he said, bitterly.
She put her fingers gently on his wrist and felt his pulse. "You're a
winner," she said.
"Meaning that I shall out distance the constable," he asked with a grim
humour.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Carstairs. Jack Carstairs. It'll be in all the papers soon. Can you read?"
"No."
"Lucky girl."

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Promoting Positive Parenting An Attachment

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Promoting Positive Development in Early Childhood Karen

An Activity Based Approach to Early Intervention Joann

Child Abuse And Neglect Attachment Development And

Attachment Based Psychotherapy Helping Patients Develop

Video Interaction Guidance A Relationship Based

School Discipline and Self Discipline A Practical Guide

Evidence Based Education in the Health Professions

Handbook of Parenting Biology and Ecology of Parenting

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Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

New York London

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Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

© 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Printed in the United States of America on acid‑free paper

International Standard Book Number‑13: 978‑0‑8058‑6352‑9 (Softcover) 978‑0‑8058‑6351‑2 (Hardcover)

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Juffer, F. (Femmie), 1950‑

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Series foreword vii

2 Methods of the video-feedback programs to promote positive

3 A case study and process evaluation of video feedback to promote

4 Attachment-based interventions in early childhood: An overview 37

5 Less is more: Meta-analytic arguments for the use of sensitivity-

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6 Insecure mothers with temperamentally reactive infants:

7 Supporting families with preterm children and children suffering

8 Video-feedback intervention with mothers with postnatal eating

9 Supporting adoptive families with video-feedback intervention 139

10 Increasing the sensitivity of childcare providers: Applying the

11 Extending the video-feedback intervention to sensitive discipline:

12 Video-feedback intervention to promote positive parenting:

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Whom do parents parent?

Parents parent infants, toddlers, children in middle childhood, and adolescents,

The scope of parenting

Parenting includes genetic endowment and direct effects of experience that

Factors that affect parenting

The nature, structure, and meaning of parenting

Parenting is pleasures, privileges, and profits as well as frustrations, fears,

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More than 20 years ago we started to experiment with videotaped parental

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important intervention effects of the VIPP approach were found on maternal

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Positive Parenting with representational attachment discussions (VIPP-R) aimed

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a number of studies investigating interventions for parents and infants. Until

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a project examining parental behavioral and physiological hyperreactivity to

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interveners. She also examined differential susceptibility in the association