ABSTRACT
In this chapter we discuss research findings and debated topics on adopted children’s behavioral and emotional adjustment. Currently, however, there are more open questions than confirmed answers, as the topic of behavioral and emotional adjustment and its relations to any individual child’s pre- and post-adoption history includes many issues that are still unclear. Adopted children represent a heterogeneous group in terms of their background and characteristics. Furthermore, in addition to adoption, there are a large number of factors that can affect children’s behavioral and emotional adjustment. Research shows that, in general, adopted children are well-adjusted; however, among them there is a subgroup of children who, possibly due to early deprivation, genetics, and various interactions between child-specific and environment-specific factors, are at higher risk for poorer behavioral and emotional adjustment. Among the key mechanisms in adjustment seem to be the attachment relationship between adoptive parents and their adopted children, as well as executive and self-regulatory processes in both parents and children. Research indicates attachment and interaction interventions having positive effects on adopted children’s behavioral and emotional development; however, in the future, ongoing rigorous research efforts will shed more light on, for example, complexities between interventions and children’s neurobiological systems and later adjustment.
