Early adversity predicts adoptees’ enduring emotional and behavioral problems in childhood

Children adopted from the public care system are likely to experience a cluster of inter-related risk factors that place them on a trajectory of mental health problems that persist across the life course. However, the specific effects of putative risk factors on children’s mental health post-placement are not well understood. We conducted a prospective, longitudinal study of children placed for adoption between 2014 and 2015 (N = 96). Adoptive parents completed questionnaires at approximately 5-, 21-, 36-, and 48 months post-placement. We used time series analysis to examine the impact of pre-adoptive risk factors (adverse childhood experiences [ACEs], number of moves, days with birth parents and in care) on children’s internalizing and externalizing problems, and prosocial behaviour over four years post-placement. Adoptees’ internalizing and externalizing problems remained consistently high over the four-year study period but more ACEs predicted increases in internalizing and externalizing problems. Contrary to expectations, more pre-placement moves and time in care predicted fewer problems over time, but exploratory analyses of interactive effects revealed this was only the case in rare circumstances. We identify pre- and post-removal factors that may incur benefits or have a deleterious impact on adoptees’ outcomes in post-adoptive family life. Our findings provide knowledge for front-line professionals in the support of adoptive families and underscore the vital need for effective early intervention

Online Hate Speech as a Moral Issue: Exploring Moral Reasoning of Young Italian Users on Social Network Sites

Taking a neo-Kohlbergian approach, we explore the moral reasoning of 486 young Italian users of social network sites exposed to moral dilemmas concerning online hate speech. The aims are to understand what moral reasoning schemas they use as they face homophobic, racist, or sexist online hate speech, and what influence personal values and moral disengagement might have on their moral reasoning process. The results reveal the prevalence of Maintaining Norms reasoning (conformity to rules and authority) in making moral decisions concerning online hate speech and confirms the mediating role of Hate Speech Moral Disengagement in the relationship between personal values and the moral reasoning process