Sara Ralha - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Sara Ralha

Research paper thumbnail of Envelhecer: caminhos pensados, caminhos traçados

Research paper thumbnail of Regulamentação da medida de promoção e proteção "acolhimento familiar": parecer apresentado durante a discussão pública do presente diploma

Parecer apresentado durante a discussão pública do presente diploma,

Research paper thumbnail of Adoption-Related Gains, Losses and Difficulties: The Adopted Child’s Perspective

Child & adolescent social work journal, Dec 5, 2018

Adoption provides stability, loving care, security, and family interactions for children that hav... more Adoption provides stability, loving care, security, and family interactions for children that have been separated from their birth parents. It also entails many challenges and difficulties, especially for adoptees in middle childhood, since feelings of loss can be particularly strong at this developmental stage. Aiming to use empirical evidence to improve adoption-related policies and practices, this study focused on the adoption-related gains, losses and difficulties, poorly explored in adoption research. One-hundred and two children aged 8-10, who were adopted from care at different ages, were interviewed using the Children's Interview about Adoption. Data collected on gains, losses and difficulties were analyzed using content analysis. Results showed that adopted children identified four main gains inherent to the experience of being adopted. The most frequent gains were related to being part of a family and experiencing family life. Adoptees identified losses related to their pre-adoption life, particularly birth family loss (parents and siblings), and previous relationships loss (especially school peers). Most adoptees reported facing family and social relationships difficulties in their post-adoption life, such as communicating openly about adoption with the adoptive parents and peers. Findings showed that children's adaptation to adoption is complex, ambivalent and individually experienced. Adopted children need parents and professionals to help them elaborate and make sense of their life story. Important implications for practice and research with adoptees, adoptive parents, adoption professionals/practitioners and school staff were drawn from data.

Research paper thumbnail of Investigação em adoção: considerações sobre a ética do investigador

Research paper thumbnail of Motivations and the decision-making process in becoming an adoptive family: An exploratory study with Portuguese adoptive parents

Research paper thumbnail of Investigação em adoção: considerações sobre a ética do investigador

Research paper thumbnail of Regulamentação da medida de promoção e proteção "acolhimento familiar": parecer apresentado durante a discussão pública do presente diploma

Parecer apresentado durante a discussão pública do presente diploma,

Research paper thumbnail of Adoption-Related Gains, Losses and Difficulties: The Adopted Child’s Perspective

Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 2018

Adoption provides stability, loving care, security, and family interactions for children that hav... more Adoption provides stability, loving care, security, and family interactions for children that have been separated from their birth parents. It also entails many challenges and difficulties, especially for adoptees in middle childhood, since feelings of loss can be particularly strong at this developmental stage. Aiming to use empirical evidence to improve adoption-related policies and practices, this study focused on the adoption-related gains, losses and difficulties, poorly explored in adoption research. One-hundred and two children aged 8-10, who were adopted from care at different ages, were interviewed using the Children's Interview about Adoption. Data collected on gains, losses and difficulties were analyzed using content analysis. Results showed that adopted children identified four main gains inherent to the experience of being adopted. The most frequent gains were related to being part of a family and experiencing family life. Adoptees identified losses related to their pre-adoption life, particularly birth family loss (parents and siblings), and previous relationships loss (especially school peers). Most adoptees reported facing family and social relationships difficulties in their post-adoption life, such as communicating openly about adoption with the adoptive parents and peers. Findings showed that children's adaptation to adoption is complex, ambivalent and individually experienced. Adopted children need parents and professionals to help them elaborate and make sense of their life story. Important implications for practice and research with adoptees, adoptive parents, adoption professionals/practitioners and school staff were drawn from data.

Research paper thumbnail of Why and how do parents decide to adopt? A study on motivations and the decision‐making process in becoming an adoptive family

Child & Family Social Work

There are several motives underlying the process of deciding to become an adoptive family. Howeve... more There are several motives underlying the process of deciding to become an adoptive family. However, research exploring this issue is scarce and essentially focused on infertility as the main motivation. The present mixed‐method study aims to fill in this gap by exploring, retrospectively, the motives to adopt of 126 Portuguese adoptive parents. The Parents' Interview on the Adoption Process was used to identify the motives to adopt and describe the adoption decision‐making process. Seven main motives (biological issues, filling in a void/loneliness, adoption as a life project, expanding the family, philanthropy, contact with the child protection system and parenthood) were identified. These motives can be centred on the self, the child or both simultaneously and are characterized by dynamism, permeability and interconnection. Findings allowed for establishing conceptual considerations on motivations to adopt and recommendations for adoption practice.

Research paper thumbnail of Envelhecer: caminhos pensados, caminhos traçados

Research paper thumbnail of Regulamentação da medida de promoção e proteção "acolhimento familiar": parecer apresentado durante a discussão pública do presente diploma

Parecer apresentado durante a discussão pública do presente diploma,

Research paper thumbnail of Adoption-Related Gains, Losses and Difficulties: The Adopted Child’s Perspective

Child & adolescent social work journal, Dec 5, 2018

Adoption provides stability, loving care, security, and family interactions for children that hav... more Adoption provides stability, loving care, security, and family interactions for children that have been separated from their birth parents. It also entails many challenges and difficulties, especially for adoptees in middle childhood, since feelings of loss can be particularly strong at this developmental stage. Aiming to use empirical evidence to improve adoption-related policies and practices, this study focused on the adoption-related gains, losses and difficulties, poorly explored in adoption research. One-hundred and two children aged 8-10, who were adopted from care at different ages, were interviewed using the Children's Interview about Adoption. Data collected on gains, losses and difficulties were analyzed using content analysis. Results showed that adopted children identified four main gains inherent to the experience of being adopted. The most frequent gains were related to being part of a family and experiencing family life. Adoptees identified losses related to their pre-adoption life, particularly birth family loss (parents and siblings), and previous relationships loss (especially school peers). Most adoptees reported facing family and social relationships difficulties in their post-adoption life, such as communicating openly about adoption with the adoptive parents and peers. Findings showed that children's adaptation to adoption is complex, ambivalent and individually experienced. Adopted children need parents and professionals to help them elaborate and make sense of their life story. Important implications for practice and research with adoptees, adoptive parents, adoption professionals/practitioners and school staff were drawn from data.

Research paper thumbnail of Investigação em adoção: considerações sobre a ética do investigador

Research paper thumbnail of Motivations and the decision-making process in becoming an adoptive family: An exploratory study with Portuguese adoptive parents

Research paper thumbnail of Investigação em adoção: considerações sobre a ética do investigador

Research paper thumbnail of Regulamentação da medida de promoção e proteção "acolhimento familiar": parecer apresentado durante a discussão pública do presente diploma

Parecer apresentado durante a discussão pública do presente diploma,

Research paper thumbnail of Adoption-Related Gains, Losses and Difficulties: The Adopted Child’s Perspective

Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 2018

Adoption provides stability, loving care, security, and family interactions for children that hav... more Adoption provides stability, loving care, security, and family interactions for children that have been separated from their birth parents. It also entails many challenges and difficulties, especially for adoptees in middle childhood, since feelings of loss can be particularly strong at this developmental stage. Aiming to use empirical evidence to improve adoption-related policies and practices, this study focused on the adoption-related gains, losses and difficulties, poorly explored in adoption research. One-hundred and two children aged 8-10, who were adopted from care at different ages, were interviewed using the Children's Interview about Adoption. Data collected on gains, losses and difficulties were analyzed using content analysis. Results showed that adopted children identified four main gains inherent to the experience of being adopted. The most frequent gains were related to being part of a family and experiencing family life. Adoptees identified losses related to their pre-adoption life, particularly birth family loss (parents and siblings), and previous relationships loss (especially school peers). Most adoptees reported facing family and social relationships difficulties in their post-adoption life, such as communicating openly about adoption with the adoptive parents and peers. Findings showed that children's adaptation to adoption is complex, ambivalent and individually experienced. Adopted children need parents and professionals to help them elaborate and make sense of their life story. Important implications for practice and research with adoptees, adoptive parents, adoption professionals/practitioners and school staff were drawn from data.

Research paper thumbnail of Why and how do parents decide to adopt? A study on motivations and the decision‐making process in becoming an adoptive family

Child & Family Social Work

There are several motives underlying the process of deciding to become an adoptive family. Howeve... more There are several motives underlying the process of deciding to become an adoptive family. However, research exploring this issue is scarce and essentially focused on infertility as the main motivation. The present mixed‐method study aims to fill in this gap by exploring, retrospectively, the motives to adopt of 126 Portuguese adoptive parents. The Parents' Interview on the Adoption Process was used to identify the motives to adopt and describe the adoption decision‐making process. Seven main motives (biological issues, filling in a void/loneliness, adoption as a life project, expanding the family, philanthropy, contact with the child protection system and parenthood) were identified. These motives can be centred on the self, the child or both simultaneously and are characterized by dynamism, permeability and interconnection. Findings allowed for establishing conceptual considerations on motivations to adopt and recommendations for adoption practice.