CreateDebate


Debate Info

31
37
Yes No
Debate Score:68
Arguments:53
Total Votes:76
Ended:11/14/11
More Stats

Argument Ratio

side graph
 
 Yes (26)
 
 No (27)

Debate Creator

MaisaLin(57) pic



This debate has ended. You can no longer add arguments or vote in this debate.

Do adopted children have the right to know their biological parents?

Yes

Side Score: 31
VS.

No

Side Score: 37
Winning Side!
2 points

Knowing/Discovering that you are adopted is very emotional. The child will of course give credit to their other parents but will want to find out who their biological parents are. They have a complete right since they are their parents. There will always be a special link between parents and children, no matter where they are.

Side: yes
1 point

Adopted children should know their biological parents despyte their new parents' feelings. Because, firstly, is is their own history, their origin. How can man exist without knowing who he is? Secondly, because knowing their true relatives can help adopted children to learn something about themselves, their psychology. Thirdly, knowing true parents is the way to learn about some possible hereditary diseases.

Side: yes
MaisaLin(57) Disputed
1 point

First of all, this child is a person everything else is just a background. Everyone need a chance to wipe the slate clean and not knowing biological parents give this opportunity.

What is more, your will be proud if your parents do something important but how wound your fill if they are gangsters or murders or even worse? Can your imagine this great stress to child mentality?

Actually, information about hereditary diseases is always in orphans' fouler and availability of this information does not depend on biological parents anonymity.

Side: No
elgiza(79) Disputed
1 point

What does "despyte their new parents' feelings." means? Do you think that adoptive parents deserve indiffernce or unconcern? I don't think so.

Side: No
MaisaLin(57) Disputed
1 point

Really? Don't your think that this knowledge will cause emotional distress for both parents, biological and foster, and for child. For example: biological mother were raped and this woman simply hates this baby as a part of this crime.

And now just imagine: this orphan child finally find his mother and figure out that she hates him. Moreover, this poor baby will find out dreadful circumstances of his conception. Won't your think that this child may end up feeling he or she does not truly belong anywhere and anyone?

Side: No
Marina(10) Disputed
1 point

If foster parents love their child they will let him learn about his biological parents. But it is only if the child wants to know them, his real parents.

We should understand that unfortunately there are some cases when parents (mother as often) have to give up their child because a lack of money, or they dont have any haven, etc. So, they are guilty, and they sorry for it but it was necessary to make such tough decision.

Side: yes
1 point

Yes, I agree. The child shouldn't know his biological parents for his emotional stability.

Side: No
elgiza(79) Disputed
1 point

But sometimes when the child learn who is his bioligical parents, he may be disappointed, and it would be very emotional and sterssful for them.. Also it causes depressions and etc.

Side: No
2 points

Ok, I am an adoptive parent. First of all I believe that adoption should be all about the child. The child at least needs to know the medical history of their birth parents. If there is any way to share other information about the birth parents with the children, it should be done...else the child regret both the biological parent for giving them up and then the adoptive parent for not telling them about their birth parent. All of my children know of and in some cases communicate with their birth parents. It is their choice and certainly will be once they reach adulthood. You iChat as well give them a good start on what kind of relationship they decide they want to have with the birth parent.

Side: yes
elgiza(79) Disputed
0 points

I think sometimes when adopted learns his biological parents, they want to come back to them. I guess it would be stressfull for adoptive parents, because they already love their child. It's just my opinion, because I hadn't such experience.

Side: No
1 point

I agree this is always a concern, and is really tought to deal with, but I believe the needs of the child outweigh the needs of the adoptive parent.

Side: No
Marina(10) Disputed
1 point

There are a lot of difficulties and stresses in our life. It is life! So, what are you talking about? If there no any law that will protect adoptive parents from biological parents' possible decision to get their child back? Sorry, your arguments about adults' possible stresses are not strong to argue.

Side: yes

I believe that people should not lie. So if a couple has a child that is not theirs biologically they should reveal that to the child. And if that child wants to seek out their biological parents then if they really love them they will help find the answers.

If they had treated the child with love and respect as a separate individual then that child will know that they are the true parents in every sense of the word. Someone is not less of a parent because they are not the biological one.

No lies.

Any parent who would want to keep something like this from their child is self centered and selfish. But then we live in a "me me me" based society so I would suppose that many children are told lies.

Side: yes
1 point

I am fully agree with you. While child is small it is not right to tell him the truth but when he becomes an adult he must know who are his real parents, and then he can make his own decision to meet his biological parents or not.

Side: yes
elgiza(79) Disputed
1 point

But if it is a lie for blessing, for child's health? And lie would exist forever. I don't like lie when it causes harm or pain, but when it causes happiness, gladness or health for my child, I'm for it.

Side: No
1 point

Of course children should know their biological parents. And I think, that adoptive parents should not hide truth from their child about his birth. Because everybody should know who is your real mother or father. yes, it is really hard to believe that your parents are not native. But you can find your bio-parents, compare them with your adoptive parents. after this you can understand that biological parents and real parents are not the same.

Side: yes
elgiza(79) Disputed
1 point

If adoptive parents are real parents, and child love them, he wouldn't attempt to find his biological parents. If biological parents quit their children, they don't deserve somebidy is trying to find them.

Side: No
1 point

Yes they have the right because if they want to see there real parents they could look at a picture of them or search them up on the internet.

Side: yes

I find it odd or funny rather that a lot of the people who believe and debate here that abortion should be legal because the woman has rights....don't think children..should also have rights. Hypocritical IMO.

And now they are taking away the rights of children to actually know the truth...about their own biological parents, their own circumstance.

My cousin did not find out he was adopted until his middle thirties. So children in this sense could be older as well.

Side: yes
1 point

This topic is really hard to discuss, because there are 7 billion people on planet, and each of them have their own opinions. Especially if talk about parent who left their child, and children who were adopted.

Side: yes
1 point

When adopted child is really small, of course he don't think about it. He think that these people who around him are his real parents. But when this child will grow up i think he have all rights to know his biological parents.

Side: yes
1 point

But it depends on person at first.Because there are many children who don't want to know his real parents. But some children on the contrary have big desire to know these people, who many years ago left him.

Side: yes
1 point

But present parents play a key role in this kind of situation too. Because they understand how it can hurt their child. They afraid of mentality of the child.

But some parents just don't want this.

Side: yes
1 point

However, in my opinion adopted children have to know their biological parents.Yes it is really hard, but it will easier for them in the future if they will know and see these people.

Parents are not people who gave a birth to a child, but who raised and spend a lot of forces of patience.

Side: yes

It depends on the situation. If the biological parent agrees to it, then they should be able to. The adoptive parents shouldn't have the power to keep the child away after a certain age, like teenage years, unless it is a really bad situation like the biological parent is abusive and dangerous.

Side: yes
1 point

The question you people have posed here is not really "Do adopted children have the right to know their biological parents?" Its more like "Are adopted children people?" And the answer is yes they are people... and people have the right to know anything or anyone they want, If a child asks tell them the truth...

Side: yes

yes a child should know who their biological parents are!!! i mean if i knew if i was adopted then i would like 2 know who i really come from! if i didnt then i wouldnt know who i am. and not knowing who i am will b really hard on me.

Side: yes
1 point

Adopted children have the right to know their biological parents because they would want to know what they're parents were like and what habits they had from them. This would intrigue what curiosity they have of their parents. When kids are young, they are made fun of because they were not wanted since they were born. This belittles all children from others.

Side: yes
1 point

Children should know their biological parents.

It depends only on time, when they find out that they were adopted. If you want to make this process for children more painless, better to say to them this information by yourselves. Otherwise, you risk to lose child's trust. It can cause grave consequences, particularly, if his "true" family will be aggressive to him.

Side: yes
1 point

I think that each child have to has a right to decide what he wants. If he wants to know who his biological parents, he has a right to know. Of course, it often causes big pain, but sometimes lack of knowledge causes more pain. So, adopted child must have a choise.

Side: yes
4 points

With adoption nearly all legal ties which the child had to their parents were severed. The only thing the child should be entitled to is relevant medical history, like if cancer or diabetes was prevalent in their biological family.

The parents have a right to privacy, and with adoption their child is no longer legally theirs and thus their parents have no obligations which restrict that privacy. Legally speaking, the question is the same as asking "Do adopted children have the right to know a random couple"?

Side: No
2 points

I thinking "yes" based on Adoption being better off in private hands, but I certainly agree with your statement on legal ties being severed.

However, this could be the same in the private sector, but either way, if the policy is to eliminate all legal ties, there should be no reason for the child to know the birth parents.

Side: No
churchmouse(328) Disputed
1 point

What about an adults right to know the truth? Where does that come into play?

There is more than history to this at least it should be for the child being tossed around. It is funny in this day and age that...people pick and choose who gets entitlement and who does not. The unborn does not get it. The adult gets it. The adopted child does not get it.

And what gets pushed aside...THE TRUTH. The truth that adopted parents can love something so much that they would want that child to know. The truth that a child could still love their adopted parents more than their biological parents...the truth that the adopted child could love both. And the truth that the parent who gave the child away can still live a separate life.

Today truth does not matter...its all about what we can hide,how much we can deceive people and just how much bagagge we can live with.

Sure we have a right to privacy. But when you create a living human being...there is a connection that really you can never sever. That child has both parents DNA....that child is forever linked biologically to them. Should they not have any responsiblity to that child? Just selling them off should release them of everything? The truth about family history, a childs identity, medical facts not an issue? Someones heart......does not matter?

I could not live with myself knowing that because I put my child up for adoption...that he or she might be searching in agony over who I was and why. Even if the why of why they were given away is hurtful, they deserve the right to know. There is more to life than just ourselves. And sorry IMO it would be a very selfless and selfish person would would want to deny any human being the knowledge of who they really were. This has nothing to do with demeaning the adopted childs adotive family. They are almost always in every circumstance the real parent. That does not take away from the fact that the truth should still be known.

Side: yes
casper3912(1581) Disputed
1 point

There is a simple truth, amongst the ones you may or may not of listed: the biological parents have a significantly reduced legal obligation by adopting out their child. This reduced legal obligation means they do not have the restriction on their privacy they normally would have with a child, and thus the child has no right to know them, personally that is.

A child should have access to relevant biological data, so that they can take precautions against potential predispositions towards diseases, since a child should know what he inherited. The rest of the info is protected by the right to privacy. The biological parents have nothing to do with "who you really are", its not typically that big of a deal to be adopted and the truth is typically known, just irrelevant and meaningless details are sketchy. I could always ask the few people I know who were adopted their opinions in more detail if you would like.

Side: No
2 points

If child always asks about bilogical parents, it can be told. But if child is not interested and doesn't ask about it, it's better not to tell. And again, as always, it depends on situation, on child and parents.

Side: No
2 points

I am adopted and i don't believe that I must have a right to see my real parents. They should be able to seek them out if they wish to, but they should be allowed to visit them all the time because all legal ties are gone.

Side: No
1 point

In my opinion, the most important factor in upbringing a child is a secure and love atmosphere in foster families. Moreover, civil right to privacy give biological parents the right to stay anonymous. So everything depends on biological parents and their desires.

Side: No
1 point

and I'm sure that biological parents would never try to find their children, but there is some exceptions. For example when biologicall mother didn't want to give her child, but she was forced to.

Side: No
1 point

i think, it is not so important!...child hsould understand that blood is not playing a role in family relation ship, important to understand that people who growed you up is real your parents!

Side: No
Marina(10) Disputed
1 point

I can not agree with you because if you re talking about blood , you re talking about DNA. How could you say that it is not important? DNA is our organism's main substance and it is inherited through generations. So, child's origin is strongly related to relationships, to his behaviour, habits, mentality, etc. These facts were proved by scientists, it is worth to read some biology books I think.

Side: yes
elgiza(79) Disputed
1 point

Yes DNA is important, but children's behaviour generally depends on upbringing, friends and the societ where he lives in. I know many examples when parents and children behave themselves absolutely in a different way. Yes, it's important for child to know his medical story, but no more.

Side: No
1 point

I agree and support this point of view!!!! from my point of view blood can't make the relationship closer, because all relationship based on mutual trust, mutual respect and communication

Side: No
1 point

i think there is no need to know your biological parents because the real parents are people who bring you up, love you, support you and believe in you during your whole life. also i consider such responsibility can understand not everyone. to be a mother or father is something that reqiures a very strong will and certain aim

Side: No
1 point

Yes, I absolutely agree with you. It's good idea=)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Side: No
1 point

I believe that adopted children should not see and find their biological parents, because their parents already dropped them and if I were adopted children I wiould never want to know the people who left me! They already live happily with their second parents and understand, support and comprehense each other

Side: No
1 point

Tokzhan, maybe you're right, but don't you think that when child is adopted it's not so necessary to know about biological parents. I take the view that adopted children needn't to know about bilogical parents, because it can impact to their psychology, and the child will feel herself/himself uncomfortable.

Side: No
1 point

Also, I believe that it's more comfortable for parents and for children, when they don't know that they are adopted and other things.

Side: No
1 point

For example, were I adopted child, I would prefer not to know about being adopted. I wouldn't prefer it, because it can damage relations between child and parets who brought him/her up. Child can be so interested about biological parents, and can do research. And parents who brought child up, can feel themselves as nobody for child.

Side: No
1 point

But if the child has already knewn that he/she is adopted and his/her bilogical parents alcoholics or drug addicted people, it's better to keep it in secret. Because child can start to think why parents have left him/her, why biological parents let child to children's house, and it effect on children's psychology.

Side: No
1 point

No because if they do then they might go looking for them but find out they are dead and that would be a dissapointment

Side: No