PARENT-REPORTED PROBLEMS IN 211 ADOPTED-CHILDREN - SOME RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS

Parents of 211 adopted children, now young adults, were interviewed ab out their children's behaviour and development during childhood and ad olescence. The children were placed for adoption at different ages. Th e quality of children's pre-placement care also varied, older-placed c hildren generally experiencing adverse backgrounds prior to joining th eir adoptive parents. Depending on their quality of pre-placement care , the children were placed in one of three groups for the purposes of analysis : (a) baby adoptions, (b) older-children adoptions in which c hildren had enjoyed satisfactory care as babies, and (c) older-childre n adoptions in which children had experienced adverse care as babies. The rate of adolescent problem behaviours varied between the three gro ups, with the older-children adoptions/adverse baby care group showing the highest rates. Two subgroups were identified. A quarter of the ba by-adopted children were reported to have had problem behaviours durin g adolescence. In contrast, no problem behaviours were reported in 28% of the older-adopted/adverse baby care children. Some possible risk a nd protective factors are explored.