Myths About Adoption vs.Adoption Facts關于收養的謬見與事實

賈利云

If you’re considering adoption for yourself， or want to debunk1 some common myths for family and friends， we explain what’s fact and what’s fiction2.

Myth： Birth mothers are typically3 young， immature teenagers.

Fact： More than half of the births in the United States are to single or married women under the age of 45. Although teenagers make adoption plans， a large percentage of birth mothers are women in their 20’s， 30’s， or 40’s and many are moms raising other children. Placing a child for adoption takes a great deal of love， courage， and maturity. Birth mothers choose adoption because they want to give their child a chance at life. Birth mothers are encouraged to take an active role in making an adoption plan.

Myth： Adoption is a selfish， easy solution—for an unexpected pregnancy—made by expectant parents4 who don’t care about their child.

Fact： Birth parents choosing adoption are making a loving， courageous parenting decision. This option allows them to give a child life and fulfil their parenting responsibilities. In order to do this， they must put their own needs aside in order to focus on what is best for the child. Adoption is by no means taking the easy way out. It is a difficult decision， and birth parents deserve to have people around them who support their choices; Support can come from family and friends， or from adoption counselors and other professionals.

Myth： No one can love a child as much as a birth mother or birth father does.

Fact： Adoptive parents can love their child as fully and selflessly as biological parents5 can. Studies show that adopted children report feeling very loved by adoptive parents and never doubt that love. The absence of biological connection does not determine the adoptive parents’ love for their children. Because adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to be honest with their children about their adoption， most children grow up with the knowledge that they were loved very much by both their birth parents and adoptive parents.

Myth： The birth mother will regret her decision for the rest of her life and have serious emotional problems.

Fact： Birth mothers who understand that the adoption decision gives their child a stable future of opportunity and love， and who receive counseling before and after making an adoption plan， can live the rest of their lives knowing they’ve given their child a very special gift.

Myth： Adoption is a more traumatic experience for a woman than abortion.

Fact： With an abortion， the pain of deep regret may continue for a lifetime. Adoption， when understood correctly， is initially painful but it can be followed by a lifetime of satisfaction for having given her child a chance at life.

Myth： The adoption process is secretive6 and a birth parent will never know anything about their child and their adoptive parents in the following years.

Fact： Adoption has changed over the years. Now birth families can select the child’s adoptive family， meet the adoptive family， receive on-going information about the child， receive pictures on a regular basis and， in some cases， have visits with the child and adoptive family.

Myth： A birth family will eventually forget about the child for whom they made an adoption plan.

Fact： A birth family making an adoption plan will never forget. They will not want to forget. What they can do is continue on with their life without being emotionally crippled7 by their loss. When they do remember， they can remember that they made the most loving， mature and selfless decision possible.

Myth： Adoption damages the child.

Fact： Studies show that adopted and non-adopted children are not different in adjustment， delinquency8 or mental health. Adopted teenagers are as emotionally stable as non-adopted teenagers. Adopted individuals do not have more family problems than non-adopted people. The child can grow up knowing that his/her family was created by adoption and understanding that his/her birth mother selflessly planned a wonderful future for her child. The child can be grateful for the birth parents’ choice of adoption.

Myth： Open adoption9 is confusing to children and a form of co-parenting10.

Fact： Children in open adoptions are not confused by contact with their birth parents. Even at an early age， children can understand the different roles of their adoptive families and birth families： birth parents gave them life and adoptive parents care for and nurture them. In open adoption， the line between family members is clearly defined. The adoptive parents and birth parents do not have shared custody11. Adoptive parents are responsible for all of decisions relating to their child’s welfare. Birth parents may be involved in the children’s lives， but they do not have legal rights or responsibilities for the child.

Myth： Adoptive parents often break their openness agreements12 with their child’s birth parents.

Fact： It’s true that not every adoption agreement goes as smoothly as planned. However， adoptive parents who have been properly counseled understand the benefits of maintaining an ongoing relationship with their child’s birth parents， and are more likely to adhere to the arrangement.

Myth： Placing a child with a family of another race or ethnicity is bound to cause problems for the child.

Fact： More than fifty years of research on transracial and transcultural adoptions， as well as research on Black children adopted by Caucasian13 parents， disproves this myth. Trans-racially and trans-culturally adopted children usually adjust well， with strong racial identity， self-esteem， and attachment to their family.

如果你正在考慮收養小孩，或想向家人和朋友澄清關于收養的一些常見謬見，本文為你辨明真相、消除誤解。

謬見：生母通常是不成熟的青少年。

事實：美國一半以上的新生兒母親是45歲以下的單身或已婚女性。雖然計劃送養小孩的生母中有青少年，但大部分是二三十歲或三四十歲的女性，其中許多人育有多個子女。決定送養小孩需要滿滿的愛、巨大的勇氣且足夠成熟。生母做此決定是因為她們想給孩子提供更好的人生機會。生母被鼓勵積極參與送養計劃。

謬見：送養是不在乎孩子的準父母因意外懷孕作出的自私而輕率的決定。

事實：送養小孩是親生父母作出的一個出于愛、有勇氣的決定。這一選擇給了孩子新生，也讓他們完成了養育孩子的責任。要做到這一點，他們必須將自己的需求放到一邊，而專注于什么對孩子是最好的。送養并非為了逃避困難，而是艱難作出的選擇，親生父母需要身邊有人支持他們的決定，可尋求來自親友或領養顧問等專業人士的支持。

謬見：沒人能像親生母親或親生父親那么愛孩子。

事實：養父母也能像親生父母那樣全心全意、無私無求地愛孩子。研究顯示，領養的孩子感受到養父母對他們的深深關愛，他們也從不懷疑那份愛。沒有血緣關系不會影響養父母對孩子的愛。因為強烈鼓勵養父母就領養之事對孩子坦承相告，所以大多數孩子在成長過程中就知道，親生父母和養父母都很愛他們。

謬見：生母余生都會后悔將孩子送養，并產生嚴重的情感問題。

事實：生母如果理解送養是給孩子提供一個充滿機會和愛的穩定的未來，并在制訂送養計劃前后都接受咨詢，知道她們給了孩子一份非常特殊的禮物，有生之年也能有所慰藉。

謬見：對女性來說，送養帶來的創傷比墮胎更大。

事實：因墮胎而深感悔恨，這種痛苦會持續一生，而若對送養有正確的認識，開始可能會感到痛苦，但以后會因為給孩子提供了新的人生機會而感到滿足。

謬見：收養程序是保密的，且在以后的日子里，親生父母永遠不會知道他們孩子和養父母的任何消息。

事實：多年來，收養制度發生了很大變化。現在，親生父母可以選擇讓什么樣的家庭收養他們的孩子、和收養家庭見面、持續了解孩子的情況、定期收到孩子的照片，有些情況下還可以看望孩子、拜訪收養家庭。

謬見：親生父母最終會忘記他們送養的孩子。

事實：作出送養小孩決定的親生父母永遠不會忘記，他們也不想忘記。他們能做的就是繼續他們的生活，不因孩子的離開而產生嚴重的情感問題。當他們回想起來時，記得的是他們滿懷愛意做了最成熟、最無私的決定。

謬見：領養會給孩子造成傷害。

事實：研究表明，領養的孩子和非領養的孩子在調整適應、違法犯罪和心理健康上沒有差別。領養的青少年和非領養的青少年在情感上一樣穩定。與非領養人群相比，領養人群并沒有更多家庭問題。孩子成長的過程中，知道他/她是被收養的，理解他/她的親生母親無私地為自己規劃了一個美好的未來，會感激親生父母當初送養的決定。

謬見：開放式收養是一種共同養育的方式，會讓孩子感到困惑。

事實：開放式收養的孩子不會因和親生父母保持聯絡而感到困惑。即使在很小的時候，孩子也能理解他們的養父母和親生父母承擔著不同的角色：親生父母給予他們生命，養父母關愛、養育他們。在開放式收養中，家庭成員的分界是很明確的。養父母和親生父母并非共同享有對孩子的監護權。養父母全權決定撫養孩子的相關事務，親生父母雖然參與孩子的生活，但在法律上沒有權利，也無須承擔責任。

謬見：養父母常常不遵守和親生父母簽署的開放式收養協議。

事實：雖然不是所有的收養協議都會得到順利執行，但在收養問題上受過專業指導的養父母會明白，和孩子的親生父母持續保持聯系是有好處的，他們更可能遵守協議。

謬見：把小孩送給另一種族或民族的家庭收養必然會對孩子產生不良影響。

事實：50多年的跨種族和跨文化收養研究以及對被白人父母收養的黑人小孩的研究打破了這個謬見。跨種族和跨文化領養的孩子通常能很好地調整自己，有很強的種族認同意識、自尊心和家庭觀念。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎選手）