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Emotional and behavioral problems associated with attachment security and parenting style in adopted and non-adopted
Insights
Turkish adoptees showed no significant differences in emotional and behavioral problems compared to their non-adopted peers. However, later disclosure of adoption was linked to increased problems, suggesting developmental context is key.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Adoption Studies
Background:
- Understanding the psychological impact of adoption on children is crucial.
- Previous research has explored emotional and behavioral differences in adopted children, with varying results.
- This study focuses on Turkish adoptees to provide culturally specific insights.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare emotional and behavioral problems between Turkish adoptees and non-adopted children.
- To investigate the influence of adoption timing and disclosure age on child outcomes.
- To examine the role of parental and child-reported factors in adoption-related adjustment.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 61 adopted and 62 non-adopted children (aged 6-18).
- Utilized validated questionnaires for assessing child behavior (Child Behavior Checklist/6-18, Youth Self Report), temperament, parental personality, and parenting styles.
- Included child-reported attachment and parenting style measures.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in emotional and behavioral problems were found between adopted and non-adopted groups.
- The age of adoption did not correlate with problem behaviors or attachment.
- A positive correlation was observed between the age of adoption disclosure and increased emotional/behavioral problems.
Conclusions:
- Adoption itself is not a sole predictor of problem behaviors in children.
- Emotional and behavioral issues in adoptees should be understood within their broader developmental trajectory.
- The timing of adoption disclosure significantly impacts child adjustment and well-being.
Objective:
This study aimed to investigate and compare emotional and behavioral problems in Turkish adoptees and non-adopted peers raised by their biological parents.
Materials And Methods:
The study included 61 adopted children (34 female and 27 male) aged 6-18 years and 62 age- and gender-matched non-adopted children (35 female and 27 male). Parents rated their children's problem behaviors using the Child Behavior Checklist/6-18, temperament characteristics using the School Age Temperament Inventory, their own personality traits using the Basic Personality Traits Inventory, and their parenting styles using the Measure of Child Rearing Styles. Children rated their parents' availability and reliability as attachment figures using the Kerns Security Scale and parenting styles using the Measure of Child Rearing Styles. Adolescents aged 11-18 years self-rated their problem behaviors using the Youth Self Report. Group differences and correlations were analyzed.
Results:
There were non-significant differences in all scale scores between the adopted and non-adopted groups. In contrast to the literature, age of the children at the time of adoption was not associated with problem behaviors or attachment relationships. On the other hand, the findings indicate that as the age at which the children learned that they had been adopted increased emotional and behavioral problems increased.
Conclusion:
Adoption alone could not explain the problem behaviors observed in the adopted children; the observed problem behaviors should be considered within the context of the developmental process.
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