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Title: Adopted Adults: Comparisons with Persons Raised in Conventional Families
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Feigelman, William |
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Adopted Adults: Comparisons with Persons Raised in Conventional Families Marriage and Family Review 25,3/4 (1997): 199-223. Also: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J002v25n03_05 Cohort(s): NLSY79 Publisher: Haworth Press, Inc. Keyword(s): Adoption; Alcohol Use; Behavioral Problems; Delinquency/Gang Activity; Drug Use; Educational Attainment; Family Studies; Marital Stability With archival data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth, this study compares the adult behavior patterns of adoptees (N = 101) and children raised in all other types of attenuated nuclear families (N = 3,949) with those raised till age 18 by both biological parents (N = 6,258). Both adoptees from intact two-parent families and those raised in all other types of disrupted nuclear families showed a higher incidence of problem behaviors during adolescence than children raised exclusively by both big-parents. This was in terms of the following dimensions: delinquency, youth crime, and the use of alcohol and drugs. Later, during adulthood, the educational attainments, job statuses, and levels of marital stability of those growing up in all types of disrupted nuclear families lagged behind those raised by both birth parents. At the time when most respondents were entering their thirties, those growing up in attenuated nuclear families were also more likely to report symptoms of depression. Adoptees, too, showed some, but much less clear evidence of long-term difficulties arising from their more turbulent adolescent experiences, compared to those growing up with both big-parents. By their late twenties and early thirties adoptees reported more instances of cohabitation prior to marriage and more females seemed to report lower levels of marital happiness. Yet, in most all other aspects surveyed-such as the recent use of drugs, educational attainments, job holding, employment successes, asset accumulations, home ownership and marital stability, they appeared much like those raised in intact big-parent families. Like their counterparts from all types of disrupted nuclear families, adoptees showed a need for greater social services-especially during adolescence--to overcome psycho-social problems emerging at that time. In the absence of having such care, long-term dysfunctional consequences are more likely to occur, especially for those raised in all other types of attenuated nuclear families. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@haworth.com] |
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Bibliography Citation
Feigelman, William. "Adopted Adults: Comparisons with Persons Raised in Conventional Families." Marriage and Family Review 25,3/4 (1997): 199-223.
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