Perception and Internalization of Adoption Stigma among Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Adoptive Parents

Lesbian, gay, and heterosexual adoptive parents' experiences in preschool environments

“…Likewise, most of the challenges that parents named related to adoption concerned more implicit manifestations of adoption, as opposed to explicit anti-adoption bias, reflecting the subtle ways in which adoption stigma continues to permeate the attitudes and practices of members of society (Goldberg et al, 2011). Insensitivity to the role of adoption in children's development or behavioral presentation, as well as inappropriate or exaggerated attribution of their children's challenges to adoption, were both described.…”

“…The absence of research on adoptive families' experiences in schools is concerning, given that societal stigma related to adoption is still pervasive (Goldberg, Kinkler, & Hines, 2011), and may trickle down into the attitudes and practices of school personnel, who may fail to understand or attend to the multiple dimensions of difference that are experienced by adopted children (Mattix & Crawford, 2011). Teachers may also neglect to discuss racial or family diversity in the classroom because they believe that young children are too young to understand these issues (Robinson & Ferfolja, 2002), an assumption that has been challenged by empirical research (Boutte, Lopez-Robertson, & Powers-Costello, 2011).…”

Preschool selection considerations and experiences of school mistreatment among lesbian, gay, and heterosexual adoptive parents

“…That heterosexual parents were less likely to consider the presence of adoptive families is interesting in light of the finding that they were also more likely to perceive mistreatment due to adoptive status than sexual-minority parents. Prior work has found that heterosexual adoptive parents possess greater internalized stigma surrounding adoption (Goldberg et al, 2011) and are more concerned about not appearing visibly different from the heterosexual nuclear family model (Goldberg, 2009), compared to lesbian/gay adoptive parents. In turn, heterosexual adoptive parents may not be as likely to emphasize their adoptive status and thus seek out the presence of adoptive families.…”

“…Heterosexual adoptive parents, on the other hand, may be more sensitive to how school administrators are responding to their adoptive status because they more clearly deviate from some (heterosexual, nuclear biologically-related family) norm. Further, prior research has documented higher levels of internalized stigma surrounding adoption in heterosexual adoptive parents as compared to same-sex adoptive parents (Goldberg et al, 2011). This higher level of stigma may predispose heterosexual parents to greater sensitivity regarding how their families are being treated by outsiders.…”

“…However, little empirical work has examined adoptive parents’ considerations in selecting schools for their children, or navigating and responding to adoption bias (e.g., the use of adoption-insensitive language by teachers and/or in curricula). The absence of this work is concerning, given that misinformation and stigma related to adoption – particularly transracial adoption – are still pervasive in the broader society (Goldberg, Kinkler, & Hines, 2011) and may trickle down into the attitudes and practices of teachers and other school personnel. Teachers may fail to understand or attend to the multiple dimensions of difference that may impinge upon the identity or experiences of adopted children (Enge, 1999).…”