Abstract

In this article the theories on emotion regulation in children and the research studies which address the consequences of institutionalisation on development are presented and a synthesis of the two topics is proposed. Studies on children brought up away from their family of origin are examined to evaluate both the risks these children encounter in the affective domain and the influence of institutionalisation on the regulation strategies used at every stage of the emotional process (input, evaluation, response), by identifying the strategies implemented by institutionalised children. From the analysis of the literature, it turns out that, to cope with the negative emotions that this separation implies, children removed from their families learn and use emotion regulation strategies which, albeit at first adaptive to the situation, can become dysfunctional and hinder their emotional development when they become habitual.