Abstract
ABSTRACTBackground: There is very little insight into the emotional effects of adult survivors of infant abandonment. The rate and reasons for abandonment differ by country, region and economic background. Depending on country, age and era, abandoned children may be cared for by a series of alternative arrangements, ranging from care homes, institutions, foster care, alternative care environments or even reside as street children. As abandonment is relatively rare in the UK, formal procedures, documentation, provision and handling are often overlooked in policy guidance.Method: A qualitative study was conducted with 16 adult survivors of infant abandonment drawn from a UK sample. Participant interviews were recorded verbatim and transcribed. The full transcripts were coded for emerging (n = 14) and then higher order (n = 3) themes.Results: Higher order themes suggest that interpersonal issues relating to relationship formation and personal emotional coping were key factors. Both positive and negative emotions and actions were documented at the personal and interpersonal levels. Of specific note were effects resulting from formal health and welfare systems as they navigated through documentation, medical encounters and contact with agencies. Their recollections encompassed extensive internal grief over the course of many years. Yet, for many, there were simultaneous threads of resilience and adaptation.Conclusions: Support pathways are wanting and these findings suggest a number of potential interventions and/or provision required from an early age to ameliorate or obviate such emotional strain. Given the rarity of abandonment, this insight may assist in policy change, especially with regard to support provision. Documentation needs to be maintained for the longer term - with the current practice of five-year limits unhelpful to this group. It may be many years after the abandonment that they embark on searches for information. Lessons for adoptive parents regarding the unique situation of abandoned babies may also be of benefit.
Highlights
I think abandonment is rather like an illness
Safe haven legislation has been introduction in an effort to decriminalise abandonment, reduce rates of abandonment and prevent negative outcomes for infants abandoned in unsafe places (Bartels, 2012; Bruce, 2016)
Sixteen adults from the UK who had been abandoned as infants contributed to this detailed qualitative study
Summary
I think abandonment is rather like an illness. It’s rather like an ache but you can’t take a pill for it.Child abandonment is an historical issue and despite being against the law within many countries, the phenomenon of infant abandonment continues (Pruitt, 2008; Sherr, Mueller, & Fox, 2009). Results: Higher order themes suggest that interpersonal issues relating to relationship formation and personal emotional coping were key factors. Both positive and negative emotions and actions were documented at the personal and interpersonal levels. Of specific note were effects resulting from formal health and welfare systems as they navigated through documentation, medical encounters and contact with agencies. Their recollections encompassed extensive internal grief over the course of many years. Documentation needs to be maintained for the longer term - with the current practice of five-year limits unhelpful to this group. Lessons for adoptive parents regarding the unique situation of abandoned babies may be of benefit
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