Adoption: From the Adoptees’ Perspective
Dr. Amena Zehra Ali, Dr. Bushra Khan, Sheeza Rizwan

Abstract
Although children are being adopted every day, adoption is still a taboo in Pakistan. People leave their newborns at hospitals, at orphanages, or worst, in garbage, because they do not want to parent them. Abandon children are usually girls, disabled or illegitimate. These children are mostly taken up by childless couples to satisfy their parental instinct. Adoption is still not accepted as a norm in Pakistani society and adopted children are looked down upon, questioned and stigmatized. A qualitative study was therefore designed to explore the experiences of these adoptees. A sample of 10 adults, who were adopted and knew about the fact too, were interviewed regarding adoption. The interview consisted of two part; first part about the adoptee’s personal experiences and then about their perceptions of being adopted. Overall it was found that a good foster experience is a key to better adjustment for adoptees regardless of when and how they received the news of adoption or the reason why they were abandoned.

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