Adoption social disclosure and its implications in the school context

Adopted children are receiving increased attention from developmental researchers due to the specificities of their developmental pathways. Their preadoption adversity is followed by the recovery opportunities afforded by... [ view full abstract ]

Adopted children are receiving increased attention from developmental researchers due to the specificities of their developmental pathways. Their preadoption adversity is followed by the recovery opportunities afforded by their new post-adoption circumstances. In this context, the experience of being adopted and the development of an adoption related identity are unique and dependent on both psychosocial and contextual variables. The way the adoption story is lived can have an impact on the adoptee’s wellbeing and adaptation, both at home and in the school context.
The goal of this study is to analyse, from the adoptee’s point of view, the school experience of being adopted and the impact of some psychosocial (e.g. social competence) and contextual (e.g. adoption social disclosure and social reaction to the adoptive status) processes. Ninety-four children aged 8 to 10 years participated in this study. The Children’s Interview about Adoption was used to access the child’s school experience of being adopted, adoption social disclosure and the social reaction to the adoptive status. The Social Skills Improvement System-Rating Scales (SSIS-RS) were used to evaluate the child’s self-report of social competence. Results showed that the adoption social disclosure, the school social reaction to the adoptive status and the adoptee’s social competence predicted the school experience of being adopted. Additionally, in the cases of children who reported a less positive social reaction, social skills moderated the impact of adoption social disclosure on negative feelings towards being adopted. As such, social skills can be seen as a protective factor on the personal adoption experience against negative social reactions.
For the adoption practice, this study provides a rationale for preventing negative feelings and to promoting positive feelings towards being adopted in the school environment, through the development of the child’s social skills and the quality of the communication about adoption to social agents. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of school inclusiveness and of promoting the students’ sense of belonging.