“All teenagers have problems, whether they’re adopted or not”: Discourses on adolescence and adoption among parents of transnationally adopted teens

Abstract

Adopted children's arrival at adolescence is an object of interest and concern among researchers, professionals, and politicians. In this article, I offer an analysis of parental talk among 24 families about their concerns related to their transnationally adopted teens. The majority of the adoptive parents reported having concerns about their children, which they attributed to their children's entry into adolescence and their children's inherent personality traits. In this article, I focus on the first of these attributions, which places the ''blame'' on adolescence. I do this from a perspective integrating a theoretical view from social anthropology that analyzes social discourses and a more applied view from social work that explores how these discourses influence family practices. The results of this analysis can guide family and professional practices and public policies on adoption.

Heterosexual and sexual minority adoptive parents’ help-seeking and service satisfaction of pediatricians and mental health providers

“…Age of child was associated with seeking mental health services, as well as satisfaction with mental health providers and pediatricians, highlighting how developmental stage may be salient for parents’ experiences in general, which translates to their experiences with providers. Adoptive parenting issues may be more complex during adolescence, and satisfaction with providers may wane (Bañez, 2017). Indeed, some research suggests an intensification of attachment and/or behavior problems among some adopted children as they approach adolescence (Askeland et al, 2017; Bimmel, Juffer, Van IJzendoorn, & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2003)—although adoptive parents may attribute such challenges to adolescence rather than their children’s adoptive status (Bañez, 2017).…”

“…Adoptive parenting issues may be more complex during adolescence, and satisfaction with providers may wane (Bañez, 2017). Indeed, some research suggests an intensification of attachment and/or behavior problems among some adopted children as they approach adolescence (Askeland et al, 2017; Bimmel, Juffer, Van IJzendoorn, & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2003)—although adoptive parents may attribute such challenges to adolescence rather than their children’s adoptive status (Bañez, 2017). The provision of support is critical during this stage, as parents may be more likely to consult with providers during this period and be sensitive to perceived adoption insensitivity as they navigate their children’s adolescence and important milestones (Paniagua, Palacios, & Jiménez-Morago, 2019).…”

Post-Adoption Help-Seeking in Portugal: A Comprehensive Study on Parental Difficulties and Help-Seeking Behaviors and Perceptions

“…Adoptive parents may also easier legitimate the need to ask for professional help due to their children’s prior adversities, without questioning their own parental resources, as previous studies suggest that adoptive parents are likely to have made positive evaluations of themselves as a parent [ 23 ]. However, according to our findings, it is more reasonable to expect that some adoptive parents may be more concerned about their own parenting abilities than biological ones [ 10 ], namely when confronted with unexpected children’s characteristics [ 44 ] and having difficulties in recognizing whether their family’s difficulties reflect the child’s developmental stage or adoptive status [ 47 ]. This may also explain their greater demand for professional help, even in the absence of severe family problems.…”