Adopted Adults

Abstract

SUMMARY 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 bio-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 bio-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 bio-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 psychosocial 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.

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