Analyzing the Topic of Adoption

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Introduction

Adoption is a complex and misunderstood topic for many. It is viewed by many as a positive system which helps maintain the wellbeing of all children. While the overall goal is the provide happy and wholesome homes for children in need, adoption can also be viewed as something that creates a number of psychological and at times physical disorders in the children that the system attempts to aid. Regardless of some people’s beliefs on adoption, every adoption story is different. There is no one universal adoption story, and every adoptee will handle and comprehend adoption in their own ways. Within the adoption community, it is a well known fact that some adoptees tend to endure adoption issues at some point in their life, but the types of adoption issues are influenced by each specific adoption experience that adoptees go through.

Rationale

When I was five months old, I was adopted from China. I have grown up knowing I was adopted, and have always accepted it as a part of my life, and as a part of who I am. While personally I have never directly struggled with adoption issues, there are many families and adoptees that have faced some adopted-related issue growing up. While I am fortunate to have had a successful adoption experience, I chose to examine some of the less fortunate instances of adoption, and some of the psychological issues that may come out of adoption.

A Brief Explanation of the Types of Adoptions

There are countless possible adoption scenarios and stories. Some that I will be mentioning include international, domestic, open, confidential, orphanage care and foster (state) systems. Each type of adoption impacts the amount of potential psychological issues. Not all adoption scenarios will tr...

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...y: Planning a study of lifecourse and outcomes. European Journal of Social Work, 16(3), 344-359. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2012.660906

Newman, Susan. "Why More People Don't Adopt." Psychology Today. Susan Newman, 25 Aug. 2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. .

Raaska, Hanna, Helena Lapinleimu, Jari Sinkkonen, Christina Salmivalli, Jaakko Matomäki, Sanna Mäkipää, and Marko Elovainio. "Experiences of School Bullying Among Internationally Adopted Children: Results from the Finnish Adoption (FINADO) Study." Child Psychiatry & Human Development 43.4 (2012): 592-611. Print.

Yoon, Gihyun, Joseph Westermeyer, Marion Warwick, Michael A. Kuskowski, and Antonio Verdejo García. "Substance Use Disorders and Adoption: Findings from a National Sample." PLoS ONE 7.11 (2012): e49655. Print.

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