Conference Rationale
Adolescence is considered one of the most important stages
of development, where many of the most crucial issues
involving identity formation are addressed and realigned.
It is an intense period of re-examination of everything
that has guided the adolescent’s relationship with
him/herself, his/her parents and the world at large up to
that point, hopefully resulting in a more cohesive,
integrated and individualized sense of self. It is a period
of intense search for personal meaning, re-examination of
past and current relationships, and of coming to terms with
who they are. If not satisfactorily resolved, these
adolescents are likely to have lives of emotional conflicts
and internal turmoil. In the case of adoption, these
identity questions, however, acquire a particular and even
a more intense and poignant significance for the adolescent
who was adopted. For he/she has to not only deal with the
challenges of normal adolescence but he/she has to address
these identity questions in the context of his/her unique
adoption experience, perhaps, without knowing about his/her
biological family, the reason for the adoption, etc..
Recognizing the importance of exploring the many challenges
often faced by the adopted adolescents as they go through
their developmental struggles, St. John’s University in
collaboration with Montclair State University decided to
focus its 5th Biennial adoption conference to the
exploration of these various challenges to identity
formation in adopted adolescents.