‘You're not adopting a boy; you're adopting a man!’ Characteristics, experiences, and key factors of adolescent adoption in Argentina

The adoption of children and adolescents in Latin America faces major challenges that relate to socio-economic, cultural and legal conditions. Within this broad field, adolescent adoption is particularly complex. Many such adolescents have experienced rights violations and violence in their family and care environments, which places significant demands on adoption systems that rely on interdisciplinary work. The objective of this study was to describe and understand factors relevant to the experiences of parents in their relationships with adolescents who joined their family through adoption. Emphasis was placed on factors that, from adults’ perspectives, favoured the development of a positive relationship. This qualitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study was based on six cases of adolescent adoption, each explored through focused interviews with adoptive parents. The main results identify the capacity of adults for reflection and flexibility as fundamental to adapting to adoption and responding to adolescents’ needs. The findings also highlight specific features of adolescent adoption in the region that contribute to building accurate information on the topic, help those involved in adolescent adoption to demystify the phenomenon, and inform preparation and professional support strategies.