Adoption Myths and the Media

Adoption is one of the many institutions in our culture subject to a number of incorrect beliefs and opinions, many of which stem from unfair portrayals in the media. The stereotypical anguished foster-care child passed from one family to the next is a well-worn Hollywood movie character, and sensationalized news stories of unmanageable “wild” children adopted from run-down orphanages in third-world countries abound.

Adoption as “Fact” …

An article in a popular magazine focused on the 1,000 or so children returned to agencies every year in the U.S., only briefly mentioning that this number constitutes about 2% of all adoption cases. Similarly, when the media catches wind that a criminal is adopted, this somehow becomes the most important social factor in the case, and article after article has cashed in on sensationalizing the dark, secret world of illegal adoption.

… And as Fiction

A certain amount of exploitation seems at work in fictional portrayals as well. “Adoption lies” are a favorite plot line of soap operas, and contribute to the idea that all adopted children come from traumatic backgrounds or are psychologically hopeless from birth.

Rarely do we see a representative of the overwhelming majority of adopted children living happy, healthy, well-adjusting lives in loving families. Instead, being adopted is shown as entirely dominating an individual’s life and personality, with the quest to find the “real” parents grossly exaggerated as some sort of obligatory experience. These deep-seated cultural misunderstandings can be especially frustrating for adoptive parents, but the honest, pure commitment to a child ultimately renders all these stereotypes meaningless.

Contact Us

For more information on the ins-and-outs of the adoption process, contact the Austin family attorneys at the law offices of Slater, Kennon & Pugh Ltd.LLP today by calling 512-472-2431.