Four Media Myths About Adoption

Adoptive Families magazine is a font of information for anyone looking to adopt and/or is parenting an adopted child. Their on-line archives feature countless articles topics such as:

• Educating Your Child's Teachers About Adoption

• Domestic vs. International Adoption (with links to specific countries)

• Adoption Issues at Every Age of Development

• Adopting via Foster Care

• And too many other topics for moi to list here!

Below is a summary of archived article exploring the realities of media myths that reinforce the misconceptions surrounding adoption:

MYTH #1 - ADOPTED CHILDREN ARE TROUBLEMAKERS

In a longitudinal study of 624 children, some from adoptive homes and some from biological homes, researchers found no worse a tendency toward criminality or alcohol abuse among adopted children than among biological children. If the media always mentioned when a criminal had red hair, the public might develop prejudices about redheads.

(GEW Note: I've noticed if a troubled celebrity is an adoptee the media is certain to mention that fact in its reporting. Think Nicole Richie before she became a mommy.)

MYTH #2 - ALL ADOPTEES HAVE TRAUMATIC BIRTH HISTORIES

Soap operas and made for TV movie are built on high drama that perpetuate this notion. Stories about the overwhelmingly positive aspects of adoption are apparently deemed not dramatic enough to attract viewers. Thus, the media perpetuates the view that there is something seamy and pitiful about adoption and its participants.

(GEW Note: I always say you'll never see our adoption story made into a TV movie. Everything went too well and we have a great open adoption relationship with Ms. Birthmom and her family. Not enough drama!)

MYTH #3 - ALL ADOPTEES SEARCH

A few vocal adoptees and members of the media have assumed that all adopted persons are deeply committed to searching. They say those who are not actively searching at any given time simply haven't started yet or have repressed the desire. While this may be true of some adoptees, it is not true of all.

(GEW Note: The article's author doesn't mention open adoption, but then again neither does the media very often. Back 30 years + closed domestic adoptions were the norm. Today the vast majority of domestic adoptions include some element of openess.) 

 

MYTH #4 - ADOPTED CHILDREN ARE OBTAINED ILLEGALLY

In reality, an average of 20 Americans per day adopt babies from overseas, often from developing nations, where poor parents see adoption as a way to give their children decent lives. Though most of these international adoptions are stringently managed and rigorously policed, an avalanche of stories of systematic abuse in a few places has cast a shadow over the entire process and its participants.

(GEW Note: Think Madonna's and Angelina Jolie' s adoption stories. And really, even with domestic adoptions, parents are sometimes asked, "How much did you pay for him?" As if we purchased our son at the corner grocery or something.)

 

RESPONDING TO THE MEDIA

Article author Beth M. Waggenspack assures us that we need not feel helpless about what we see in the media. You can express your opinions and she shares several constructive tips for doing just that.
Click here to view the source article: Four Media Myths About Adoption by Beth M. Waggenspack.

(GEW Note: I couldn't determine the precise date the original article was written, so some of the exact facts will be a tad out of date, but the underlying issues the article addresses do endure.)

 

"Just saying NO" to funky made for TV movies -

Cynthia - The Good Enough Witch

P.S. Related posts on this topic: Open Adoption Success Story

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