Adoption breakdown has attracted an increasing amount of attention over recent years, and studies coincide in stating that the mean age at which this phenomenon occurs is early adolescence. Nevertheless, the specific factors which influence adoption breakdown, have never been empirically explored. The aim of this article is therefore to analyse these factors by comparing cases of adoption breakdown which occurred prior to the onset of adolescence with those occurring after the beginning of this developmental stage. The study explores 69 cases of adoption breakdown occurring over the course of a decade in one Spanish region, taking into consideration variables related to the adopted children, the adoptive parents, the parent-child relationship, and the professional support services provided to these families. The results reveal a clear difference in the profile of breakdowns occurring before and after the onset of adolescence and identify a series of factors which seem to have a stronger influence in each group, such as violence, timing of problems, and unrealistic expectations regarding the child. These findings have important implications for professional adoption services, such us the importance of early identification of difficulties and the provision of support during adolescence.
KEYWORDSadolescence, adoption breakdown, adoption disruption, professional intervention product of a single cause, adoption breakdowns are typically the result of an accumulation of risk factors linked to the adopted child, the adoptive parents, the child-parent relationship, and the help and support provided by professional adoption services. As shown in the review by Palacios et al. (2018), the highest level of agreement can be found in relation to child-related risk factors, with older age at placement and behavioural problems being the two aspects identified most frequently in the research.However, whereas age at placement is highlighted in almost all studies, age at breakdown has received considerably less attention.Research has consistently found that it is during the early years of adolescence that most adoption breakdowns take place. Maza (2014); Palacios, Jiménez-Morago, and Paniagua (2015); Rolock and White (2016); and Selwyn, Meakings, and Wijedasa (2014) coincide in identifying age 13-14 years old as the mean age at which most premature departures from the family home take place, usually after several years of problems and difficulties (on average, between five and six, according to Selwyn et al., 2014, andPalacios et al., 2015). Nevertheless, more often than not, this information is provided at a purely descriptive level, and no in-depth analysis is offered.Just as for their nonadopted counterparts, the transition to adolescence and the teen years are a difficult developmental period for adopted children, characterized by changes that may trigger maladaptive and problematic behaviour. Both research on domestic adoptions (Miller, Fan, Christensen, Grotevant, & Van Dulmen, 2000) and studies and meta-analyses on internatio...