Closely related to the issue of dealing with defiance is the question that all adoptive parents have asked
themselves at some point—is it adoption-related or not? When a child with a difficult history (or perhaps
a history that is largely unknown) is disrespectful, starts acting up, has frequent meltdowns, is out of
control or even becomes violent, it is understandable for parents to wonder whether, and to what extent,
the behaviors are related to the child’s history or are simply “normal” (albeit unacceptable) behaviors for
a child of that age.