[SchmennaLeigh]

If you are a birth parent (mother or father) in an open or closed adoption who relinquished voluntarily or had your rights terminated, PLEASE TAKE THIS SURVEY. They are looking for 600 participants by December 1, 2008. Let's blow that number out of the water.

(You can read a little more about it (if you want) prior to taking the survey on the birth/first parent blog.)

[taramayrn]

If you are a Canadian birthmother, or living anywhere other than the US you cannot take this survey. It won't allow you to input a postal code instead of a zipcode and that is a required field.

[keds]

Taramaryn, I should have scrolled down and I would have seen your message! I tried to do the survey but no luck. I doubt that putting in my U.S. winter address would be appropriate as it would throw off the statistics. Ciao!

[SchmennaLeigh]

Silly Canadian.

Forgot to mention US only.

[browneyes0707]

Done It wasn't bad at all.

[lahdh4]

Done..................

[RavenSong]

I completed the survey. But I don't think it was designed very well in some parts. For example, it assumes that if you are in reunion that your child found you, and not vice versa. There were other questions that didn't have enough possible responses to choose from, too.

[SchmennaLeigh]

I also agree that some questions were a bit skewed. I left that information in my comments at the end. Due to the fact that we're in an OA, I've neither searched for my daughter nor are we in reunion which makes it sound as if there is/was no interest. So, I said that at the end.

[browneyes0707]

Originally Posted by RavenSong

I completed the survey. But I don't think it was designed very well in some parts. For example, it assumes that if you are in reunion that your child found you, and not vice versa. There were other questions that didn't have enough possible responses to choose from, too.

I agree. I searched, and I thought it intersting that that scenario was not brought up.

I too made some clarifications at the end, since my situation is a bit different than the survey allowed

[BrandyHagz]

I was disappointed to see that many of the required questions didn't have answers that fit my situation (or NA).

It's hard to write a survey that will, in the end, be considered an unbiased source of facts, when it’s written in such a way that a 'predetermined outcome' can be assumed.

Questions addressing pressure, coercion and search and reunion, which required an answer, should have given an option of “NA” so that those who have no experience with that specific issue can participate in the Survey.

While I did respond to the survey and I answered every single question – the results won’t really mean much, as I was required to select an answer for “Who did you feel the most pressure from” – even though I had answered “No” to the question “Did you feel pressure”. There was no option not to answer the question or to provide an answer such as “NA” – since the question was not applicable to my situation.

I’d love to see a survey like this done, without the ‘bias’ – and I say bias, as that is the term typically used in the field of surveys.

I do think this is a step in the right direction in hearing from the birth parent side of the adoption community – hopefully we’ll see more survey’s like this, that fit the entire adoption experience spectrum from the birth parents view.

[thanksgivingmom]

Agreed!

With all the comments that the survey didn't address my situation. When I was prompted to pick NA I was less concerned than in some situations where I had to pick a Yes/No answer, when neither applied.

Yet more proof that sometimes "statistics" aren't so cut and dry!

[SchmennaLeigh]

Brandy, the "who made you feel pressure" question should have been able to have been left blanke (not clicking a "no" answer, just completely left blank).

So, I went back to check. Here is that section:

REQUIRED Did you feel any pressure to relinquish? *
Yes No


OPTIONAL More than ONE may apply If YES, who did you feel pressure from?
Child’s Other Parent Child’s Maternal Grandmother Child’s Maternal Grandfather Child’s Paternal Grandmother Child’s Paternal Grandfather Friend Lawyer State (Social Worker) Adoption Agency Religious Agency (worker, nun, etc) Private Adoption Agency Adoption Facilitator Medical Person (nurse, doctor, etc.)


REQUIRED Who did you feel the MOST pressure from? check only one] *
Child’s Other Parent Child’s Maternal Grandmother Child’s Maternal Grandfather Child’s Paternal Grandmother Child’s Paternal Grandfather Friend Lawyer State Adoption Agency Religious Agency Private Agency Adoption Facilitator Medical Person


Definition of coerced according to Merriam-Webster to restrain or dominate by force, intimidation or threat





REQUIRED According to the above definition were you coerced to relinquish? *
Yes No


REQUIRED According to the above definition and if you answered Yes to the previous question, who were you coerced by? [More than one may apply] *
Child’s Other Parent Child’s Maternal Grandmother Child’s Maternal Grandfather Child’s Paternal Grandmother Child’s Paternal Grandfather Friend Lawyer State (Social Worker) Adoption Agency Religious Agency (worker, nun, etc.) Private Adoption Agency Adoption Facilitator Medical Person (nurse, doctor, etc.)


Optional Who did you feel the most coercion from? [Choose only one]
Child’s Other Parent Child’s Maternal Grandmother Child’s Maternal Grandfather Child’s Paternal Grandmother Child’s Paternal Grandfather Friend Lawyer State Adoption Agency Religious Agency Private Agency Adoption Facilitator Medical Person


REQUIRED Did you feel you must relinquish your baby to a specific couple? *
Yes No N/A


REQUIRED Did you consider keeping your child before relinquishing? *
Yes No N/A

They obviously made a mistake as you can see how they have it worded in the coercion section where you only have to answer the MOSt question if you said yes to the initial question at all. Hopefully you alerted them to this mistake in coding/programming/wording so that they can fix it for future participants. Fromthe wording of the coercion section it doesn't seem like they MEANT to make that question required and just simply messed up the coding.

[BrandyHagz]

Jenna,

It says right there, "REQUIRED Who did you feel the MOST pressure from? check only one] * "

I answered "No" to 'Did you feel pressured' but was still required to answer "Who did you feel the MOST pressure from".

[SchmennaLeigh]

I edited my post to reflect that after I reread. I really think it's an accident considering they worded it properly under coercion.

[BrandyHagz]

Also, "REQUIRED According to the above definition and if you answered Yes to the previous question, who were you coerced by? [More than one may apply] *"

I was required to answer this question (and could not move forward, even though the question is worded in a way that says you are able to, without answering.

The survey wasn't dynamic based on previous answers - any questions with the word [REQUIRED] next to it, required an answer to move on, regardless of what the content of the question said.

So, can you see what I'm trying to say? Regardless of what was stated in the question (example, "If you said yes, answer this) - if the word REQUIRED was printed next to the question - everyone (even those it didn't apply to) had to respond...

Actually, they didn't word it correctly for coercion...they require an answer for "Who coerced you" - even if you answered no to the above question...