The experience of adoption I: a study of intercountry and domestic adoption from the child's point of view

Hawkins, Amanda, Beckett, Celia, Castle, Jenny, Groothues, Christine, Sonuga-Barke, Edmund, Colvert, Emma, Kreppner, Jana, Stevens, Suzanne and Rutter, Michael (2007) The experience of adoption I: a study of intercountry and domestic adoption from the child's point of view. Adoption and Fostering, 31 (4), 5-16.

Abstract

Amanda Hawkins, Celia Beckett, Jenny Castle, Christine Groothues, Edmund Sonuga-Barke, Emma Colvert, Jana Kreppner, Suzanne Stevens and Michael Rutter compared views about adoption for two groups of 11-year-old children (n = 180). The team's analyses compared the views of children according to their pre-adoption background: UK domestic adoptees placed before the age of six months versus intercountry adoptees who had experienced extreme deprivation for up to three-and-a-half years in Romania prior to placement (the Romanian group was further broken down by age at placement). Remarkably few differences were found between these groups, with the exception of two areas. Older-placed adopted children from Romania were significantly more likely to find it difficult to talk about adoption than domestic adoptees, and to feel different from their adoptive families. However, supplementary analyses suggested that these differences were due to increased levels of difficulties within the older-placed Romanian group, rather than whether they were adopted internationally or domestically. The implications of the similarities and differences between these groups for policy and practice are discussed.

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Author: Jana Kreppner

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