42% parents keep adoption a secret

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An in-depth study about the adopted children in the state since 1990 has revealed that 42% of the parents who adopted the children have not disclosed to their children that they are adopted children. The hesitance to reveal the truth generates mainly from the fear that the child may search for their biological roots and they may not accept the adopted parents.

The study, conducted as a joint initiative of the department of women and child development and Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Rajagiri-College-of-Social-Sciences), also revealed that 31% of the children who have come to know about their adopted status, have expressed keenness in finding their biological parents, while the remaining 69% had no such desire.

The study was conducted by handing over a questionnaire to adopted parents and children across the state, and then analysing the response using a statistical analysis software. The study has been prepared on the basis of response from 462 parents and 90 children who have adopted and who are adopted, respectively. The study found that the number of adoptions in the state has been on the rise, and more than 6,400 children have been adopted in the state since 1990.

While half of the parents did not reveal the truth to the children, 93% of the children responded that they are aware of their adopted status. Half of those among who know their adopted status (49%) have come to know the truth from their adopted mother, 36% from their adopted father and the remaining 15% from other relatives, peers and friends.

The majority of (91%) adopted parents have stated that they are proud about the fact that they are adopted parents and 68% of them had no problems with their adopted children. Though the minority, 32% said that they faced some problems with their adopted children. Among these, the highest number said that the children were disobedient (21%), hyperactive (17%), stubborn (16%), performed poorly in academics (13%), were in the habit of lying (11%), were lazy (8%), aggressive and had learning disability (5%) and had stealing tendencies (3%).

Coming to the adopted children, majority (82%) were proud about their adoptive status, while the remaining were not. Regarding the other emotional quotients of adopted children, 65% of them shared their adoption (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/adoption) status with their friends, while the remaining kept it a secret among their friends. Also, 83% of the children expressed that they had no issues in having discussion about their adopted status with their adopted parents, while the remaining are not comfortable with the idea.

When it comes to assuring the future security of adopted children, 81% of the parents have not registered any will in the name of their adopted children, while only 13% did so.