The Myth Series: Killer Adoptees

Birds do it, bees do it... and to hear some talk, it comes naturally to adoptees .

More Myths •Myths About Adopting •Myths About Adoption •Myths About Open Records •Myths About Texas Adoptions

Elsewhere on the Web •"The Abuse Excuse: Cop- outs, Sob Stories and Other Evasions of Responsibility" by Alan Dershowitz (book) •The Mass Murderer Hit List

Hitchcock's birds were scary (The Birds; 1963), Harrington's bees were scary (Killer Bees; 1974), but according to some, adoptees are the scariest of all! We are unstable, dysfunctional, and we kill because we were adopted.

Pointing Fingers

Many in the anti-adoption community believe that adoptees are somehow damaged and that abolishing adoption - in favor of other family arrangements including guardianships - will correct this. The Abolish Adoption Web site includes language that attributes "certain behavioral patterns" to all adoptees, and it is these patterns, the site author asserts, that are responsible for "an over-representation of adoptees who have killed their adoptive families and who are convicted serial killers." And we even have our own syndrome (nothing in the psychiatric treatment code, but it sounds good).

Adopted Child Syndrome (ACS)

Apparently, because adoptees harbor hatred and anger toward parents and humanity in general for perpetuating a state of confusion arising from adoption, we become hoodlums, get into trouble and resort to unnerving crimes and murder to relieve our frustrations. And we aren't responsible. Being adopted is the culprit... or so some would have us believe.

ACS has been cited by attorneys when defending adoptees in court, whether or not jurists and juries buy into it. ACS is supported by some and decried by others, including attorney and Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz. Basically, the theory is that rage arising from something to do with adoption can lead to committing terrible crimes. When used as a legal defense, it appears to ask that the criminal be excused from responsibility.

The Problem with Myths

Most myths, this one included, contain grains of truth and it is these truths that lead people to accept the whole story without exploring further. Yes, undoubtedly many adoptees do experience confusion and anger, and sadly these can arise from adoption-related causes. But to label all adoptees as innately damaged and potentially dangerous, to presume that adoptees are less able to control anger, to deal with rage, does an injustice to the millions of adopted persons around the world who are the living proof that this is, indeed, just a myth.

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National Adoption Awareness Month is one of many opportunities we have to dispel myths about adoption, adoptive families, and birth families. And if you want to do more, there are many advocacy groups around the world that would welcome your participation.

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