The Peer Relationships of Those Who Have Experienced Adoption or Foster Care: A Meta‐Analysis

Abstract

This meta-analytic review examines the presence and quality of close peer relationships for adoptees and individuals with foster care experience. Results indicate that adoptees show difficulty forming close peer relationships compared with biologically reared individuals, but they do not differ in the quality of these relationships. In contrast, those with foster care experience report lower quality peer relationships than biologically reared individuals. Additionally, this meta-analysis includes prevalence rates of close peer relationships that illustrate most adoptees and foster youth report having high-quality peer relationships. These findings have important implications for intervention and prevention efforts and offer directions for future research on peer relationships among adoptees and foster youth, but should be considered in light of the presence of some publication bias.

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