7 DEC 2013
Adopted Children Have a
greater incidence of Mental Health Disturbances and Delinquency.
Because
we see increased manifestations of disorders such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
(FAS), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Reactive Attachment Disorder(RAD ), Conduct Disorder (CD),
etc in the adopted populations vs. non adopted populations we can see a clear
connection (Pei 438). Early abuse and
trauma, genetic/environmental factors and a primal wound of being removed from
the parent, and more, all serve to produce adoptive children with significant
mental disturbances.
Early
deprivation, abuse, trauma, and dysfunctional attachment can disrupt a child’s
brain development; thus their production and management of neurotransmitters. A
major contributor to studies on adoptees mental health, Remi Cadoret, states "There
is a general acceptance of the likelihood that genetic factors predisposing to
aggressive and violent behaviors do exist...and will be imbedded in complex
development pathways involving neurotransmitter systems..." (Cadoret, Genetics of Aggressive and Violent Behavior 317).
Research on
abused and neglected children has indicated the devastating effects of
maltreatment on the child’s growing brain; smaller brain size, decreased growth
of the corpus callosum (connects the right and left sides of the brain) and
impaired growth of inhibitory neurotransmitters, including gamma-aminobutyric
acid (GABA),
that serve to calm the excitable emotional limbic structures. This is
seen in brain imaging studies and through neurotransmitter testing. Even after
children are introduced into safe and loving homes, the disrupted
neurochemistry is still present.
"The
importance of gene-environment interactions are illustrated in several adoption
studies. For example, the effects of socioeconomic status on inhibiting or
promoting the expression of the genetic vulnerability to criminality have been
examined in two large-scale Danish and Swedish adoption studies"(Tehrani
and Sarnoff 295). Adopted Children are more at risk than other non-adopted
children because of their biological parent's criminal, or mental illness
history and antisocial behavior.
An NIH study points to research that shows "emotional and behavioral issues
are related to a number of health and social
problems in adolescence, even leading to juvenile delinquency and
dropping out of school. A true mood or emotional disorder almost always has an
underlying biochemical basis, and more severe disorders may require specialist treatments" (Wilde 64).
The Biological Parent Aspect: Alcohol & Drug Abuse/Anti Social Behavior.
There are no
laws on the books mandating pregnant women with a history of birthing drug
addicted babies being required to get any treatment while pregnant. They can't even be forced to have prenatal
care, thus allowing them to go all nine months without any "nagging"
from doctors or social workers ("prenatal exposure"). Methamphetamine abuse is particularly
cruel because one of its affects is extreme sexual arousal. Sex seeking
drug addicts are not known for their family planning or contraceptive use. Babies that have been drug exposed, can be born
prematurely, suffer severe effects from their exposure such as Oppositional
Defiant Disorder (ODD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),
Bipolar, physical defects (cleft lip), plus many learning, developmental delays and conduct disorders, etc. .
Child
abuse inflicts a wound that becomes a break in the intricate web of
relationships that we exist in--the place where our core being resides.
That fundamental break causes us to become strangers to our environment,
others and most profoundly ourselves. We find ourselves struggling in an
alien world with feelings of loneliness, isolation and betrayal. Trust is
lost in a most unnatural way. This is not the normal growing up, seeing
life is not the rosy picture we hoped to experience. It is the unnatural
loss or betrayal of trust of a child in his or her parents. We don’t see
a bond that under normal circumstances provides a guiding force in a life of
confusion, chaos and struggle to find self.
A
family background of anti social behavior mixed in with a biological
parent having a psychological disorder would increase the risk of
childhood conduct disorder and adolescent aggressiveness. Intergenerational transmission theories
exist showing that criminal and antisocial parents tend to have delinquent and
antisocial children (Cadoret
317).
Bonding: Mental/Neurological Consequences
Attachment is one of the most
important aspects of a child’s development; it is the essential factor in
shaping their minds through interactions. Neurotransmitter levels are a
blueprint for a child’s mood, behavior, and overall functioning.
Continual research has shown that our early years create our brain's destiny;
as relationships with parent’s changes so do the children’s attachment. This
means it is never too late to create a positive change in a child’s life.
Through regulating neurotransmitter levels the ability to create a healthy bond
with parents becomes much more feasible.
Conduct disorders
It has been theorized
that genetic influences such as DNA alterations can cause
thrill seeking behavior. Studies on Serotonin indicated that
shorter strands could have a tendency to nervousness and more negative thought.
“A study on dopamine showed (or indicated) that people with a sevenfold
repetition (rather than four) had a higher level of thrill seeking, quick
temper and excitability. Using this research the Dutch have been indicating
at a likelihood of criminal propensity due to a shortage of enzymes needed to
breakdown serotonin” (Bettelheim 290). Problems
with executive/cognitive functions are key to impulsivity and lack of restraint.
Neurochemistry
and Neuroanatomy
Research
shows that neurochemistry (mental) problems and anatomy (physical) problems can
be one in the same. Twin and adoption studies
have supported the theory that alcoholism, mental health disorders, and violent
offences can be genetic traits. Data suggests that the induction of some
type of teratogen (congenital malformation), during gestation alters normal
fetal development. Violent offending, but not property offending, may be
associated with a disturbance in fetal development (Cadoret, Genetic and Environmental
Factors in Adoptee Antisocial Personality 231).
The
function of the frontal lobe is to house our parental controls and executive
functioning. This gives us the ability to recognize future consequences resulting
from current actions, to choose between good and bad choices. We can override and suppress socially
unacceptable responses, and be predictive of similarities and differences
between things or events. The frontal
lobe is a critical center and it controls the "essence" of our
humanity, according to Dr. Donald Stuss of The Rotman Research Institute.
It is the seat of our emotions. Our ability to feel
compassion, understand consequences and social mores are controlled here. (qtd in Firman and Gila 75)
