| Whether exploring the decision to adopt a child as an | | | | had a higher rate of emotional and behavioral |
| infant through domestic or international adoption or | | | | problems than non-adopted people. Research more |
| to adopt an older child through the child welfare and | | | | useful and valuable to prospective adoptive parents |
| foster care system, it is understandable prospective | | | | recognizes the variations between the different |
| adoptive singles and couples would wonder about the | | | | situations and backgrounds of adopted children. |
| possible outcomes of the effects of adoption on | | | | In recent times, adoption advocates have also noted |
| children. Virtually everyone has heard 2nd or even 3rd | | | | an overall negative bias of mainstream media against |
| hand of an adoption story with a painful or horrible | | | | adoption they believe grossly distorts the reality of |
| ending for both the child and family. The media grabs | | | | adoption and fuels many false myths. Dr. George |
| onto these rare occurrences and shamelessly focuses | | | | Gerbner, a researcher at the Annenberg School of |
| on the pain and heartache of all involved. | | | | Communications at the University of Pennsylvania, |
| By the end of coming to the decision to welcome a | | | | found evidence in 1988 of a detrimental bias against |
| child into their home to love and nurture, adoptive | | | | adopted children in many TV shows and movies. He |
| parents will have heard countless tales of caution | | | | reportedly found many highly familiar and popular |
| from friends and family of things that can and have | | | | programs often regularly depicted adopted children as |
| gone terribly awry with other adopted children. | | | | "problem children"--drug addicts, victims, and so on |
| Stories from the mainstream media often paint a | | | | far more than depicting adopted children as resilient, |
| picture of adopted children as at odds with their | | | | productive, and hard-working. Regrettably, many |
| adoptive family, emotionally disturbed or even bitter | | | | people continue to gather their ideas and impressions |
| anti-social drug addicts. Less shocking, newsworthy, | | | | about adoption and adoptive families from such |
| and far more prevalent though are the majority of | | | | shows and news stories. |
| adoption stories that go on to have real life happy | | | | The reality is most adopted people are not more |
| endings for both the child and parents. In reality, the | | | | sociopathic, nor more violent, than non-adopted |
| majority of prospective adoptive parents can safely | | | | people are. When discussing millions of people who |
| suppose their adopted child will most likely mature | | | | were adopted, from those who are infants to those |
| into a normal psychologically healthy adult and go on | | | | who are elderly, it is impractical to generalize to any |
| to marry, raise biological &/or adopted children | | | | valid conclusion about the future of children adopted |
| and lead a happy productive live. | | | | into loving and caring families. Just as with most |
| In "Growing Up Adopted," a study released in 1994 | | | | non-adopted people of the world, some children are |
| and often cited by Adoption professionals and | | | | very talented or brilliant and some are less capable |
| advocates, results strongly indicated the majority of | | | | and have more factors pre-disposing them to |
| adopted teens in their study were strongly attached | | | | potential difficulties. Most adopted people fall within |
| to their adoptive families and psychologically healthy. | | | | the normal range. |
| Previous research on adoption consistently combined | | | | Much of the misinformation and fears people have |
| all youths adopted as infants with youths who had | | | | regarding adoption--that adopted children do not |
| survived neglectful and abusive situations, often for | | | | blossom, that adopted families are dissatisfied--can |
| years, before adopted. Additionally, being transferred | | | | usually be linked back to unsound research or |
| through several foster home placements before | | | | unsupported oversimplification. Adoption is most |
| being adopted into a permanent home has an | | | | definitely not a one size fit all solution for every |
| enormous impact on a child's emotional well-being and | | | | family in every situation. Nevertheless, millions of |
| interpersonal relationships that was not accounted for | | | | singles, couples and families have used adoption to |
| as a variable. | | | | produce joyful, flourishing and caring families. |
| Researchers did not make a distinction between | | | | Moreover, at no other time in history have there |
| difficulties children had that may have been related to | | | | been more resources and support available to |
| adoption versus difficulties related to non-adoption | | | | prospective adoptive parents to gain useful and |
| issues. Recent research findings continue to be | | | | needed information to prepare them for the |
| encouraging and challenge the results of some older | | | | challenges and joys parenting and adoption will bring |
| studies on adoption, which indicated adopted people | | | | to their lives. |