Numerous services in the field of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) are active, with different qualities and outcomes in their work. Different professions are also involved in this field between regular and special schools, the children and young people welfare system, the psychiatric ward, the police, therapeutically services and the like--and all too often they fail because of an institutional mismanagement. This case study has two objectives: specifying the situation of children and young people with SEBD in Germany and clarifying the need of an attachment oriented pedagogy in contrast to the latest hype of "facts and figures" based programmes. (Contains 8 notes and 3 figures.)