History Main / AdoptingTheAbused

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': Downplayed; Anne's parents are actually very loving and she spends most of the series desperately trying to get back to them. However, her friendship with Sasha was toxic, as Anne was a pushover who did whatever Sasha wanted (sometimes even taking the blame for things that weren't her fault), and Sasha never stopped her. If anything, she encouraged her behavior, even convincing her to steal the [[{{MacGuffin}} Calamity box]]. It's only after Anne forms a genuine, healthy friendship with Sprig that she learns just how bad her friendship with Sasha was, and finally stands up to her in the season one finale (having to do it again in the season two finale).

* ''Fanfic/TheDragonAndTheButterfly'': Hiccup eventually reveals to Mirabel and the Madrigals just how bad his life on Berk was, and they are ''horrified'' when they learn that Stoick disowned Hiccup and almost killed Toothless. Alma officially gives Hiccup permission to stay in the Encanto for as long as he wants (aka, forever). After he and Mirabel becomes and official couple, Hiccup is basically adopted into the family. As is Toothless, as Antonio quickly becomes the dragon's best human friend (after Hiccup).

* ''Fanfic/NewStars'': CT-5599, or Maxx, was a clone soldier of the Republic who was viewed as little more than a slave by many, yet had no power over his destiny (as his training had brainwashed him into believing that doing anything other than be a soldier was an act of desertion). Once he ends up on the ''Orville'', though, the crew makes it clear that ''he's'' allowed to choose what he does with his life. [[spoiler: In the end, he chooses to join the crew of the ''Orville'' and fight for a cause ''he'' chooses.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheWilloughbys'': The very start of the movie makes it clear that the Willoughby parents want nothing to do with their kids, depriving them of food, yelling a them for making the slightest noise, throwing them in the coal bin if they misbehave, and even gleefully kicking them out of the house when Jane tries to take in a DoorstopBaby. It's only after they meet Nanny that they learn how parents should ''actually'' treat kids, as their nanny has their backs throughout the film. [[spoiler: At the end, when the Willoughby parents ''literally leave their children to freeze to death on a mountain top'', Nanny, Commander Melanhoff, and Ruth come to their rescue. Nanny and the Commander then legally adopt the Willoughby children and Ruth, with the end credits showing the seven of them living as an unusual but happy family.]]

** In ''Literature/TheBFG'', Sofie admits the the Big Friendly Giant that the orphanage she lived in wasn't [[OrphanageOfFear very good]], with the head of the orphanage giving the girls awful punishments for the slightest mistake. The giant instantly decides to take her in as his own.
** In ''Literature/JamesAndTheGiantPeach'', James spends four years being starved, bullied, beaten, and mistreated by his aunts Spiker and Sponge. Said aunts are hated by all of the creatures that live in their garden, namely the bugs that James goes on his journey with. The Bugs all immediately accept James as a member of their group, and at different times all serve as parental/big brother figures for him.

** In ''Literature/TheBFG'', Sofie admits the the Big Friendly Giant that the orphanage she lived in wasn't [[Orphanage OfFear very good]], with the head of the orphanage giving the girls awful punishments for the slightest mistake. The giant instantly decides to take her in as his own.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheWilloughbys'': [[spoiler:The Willoughby children, who have been neglected by their parents for years, get adopted by their nanny and Commander Meleonhoff in the end of the movie.]]%%somebody who's seen this movie needs to try and make it not one big spoiler.

* ''Literature/{{Matilda}}'': Matilda is raised by two neglectful parents who heavily believe in anti-intellectualism and insult her for not being more like them. Matilda's father Harry tears up a library book she borrowed because he thinks it's a waste of time. They even leave her home alone to play bingo or to go to work when she's just a kid. When Matilda starts to go to school, she strikes up a bond with her teacher Miss Honey, who actually admires her intelligence and accepts her for who she is. At the end of the book, Matilda asks if Miss Honey can adopt her, and her parents just hand her over without batting an eye.

**

This could be the finale, making it overlap with EarnYourHappyEnding. It also could be part of a DarkAndTroubledPast, often exposed with a SomberBackstoryRevelation.

See also HealTheCutie and RecruitedFromTheGutter. Subtrope of HappilyAdopted. This experience with abuse may cause adoptees to worry about their VillainousLineage and doubt themselves. The most common method of the adopter taking in the abused is ImTakingHerHomeWithMe.

A character comes from an abusive background, be it physical, mental, emotional, or, in all too many cases, sexual. The result is that they are worn down.

They're either an orphan or their family is so absent that they might as well be.

And then, just when they are approaching the edge of the DespairEventHorizon, someone steps in for their betterment.

Sometimes it's a single individual. Other times it's a stable, loving family unit. Often this will be a FamilyOfChoice.

Whatever the case, our waif has escaped misery and despair for a loving, stable family unit.

In some instances, this could suffer a false start or two, where the adoptive family turns out to be as bad or worse than the situation being fled, exchanging one type of abuse and manipulation for another. The result can be that our victim is wary and gun-shy when someone genuinely good steps into their life.

* ''Fanfic/NewStars'': CT-5599, or Maxx, was a clone soldier of the Republic who was viewed as little more than a slave by many, yet had no power over his destiny (as his training had brainwashed him into believing that doing anything other than be a soldier was an act of desertion). Once he ends up on the ''Orville'', though, the crew makes it clear that ''he's'' allowed to choose what he does with his life. [[spoiler: In the end he chooses to join the crew of the ''Orville'', and fight for a cause ''he'' chooses.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/GuillermoDelTorosPinocchio'': Towards the climax of the film, this is what happens to [[spoiler:Spazzatura the monkey, after the death of his [[BadPeopleAbuseAnimals abusive owner Count Volpe]]. Spazzatura makes a HeelFaceTurn and moves in with Gepetto, Pinocchio, and the Cricket, and [[EarnYourHappyEnding ends up having a happy life with his new family until he eventually dies of old age]].]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheWilloughbys'': [[spoiler:The Willoughby children have been neglected by their parents for years have been adopted by their nanny and Commander Meleonhoff in the end of the movie.]]

* ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'': Lydia Deetz is shown to be a sad, lonely girl who doesn't see eye-to-eye with her stepmother and whose father (despite trying to be supportive) tends to get too absorbed in his work or hobbies to really spend time with her. She's also the only one [[spoiler: at first]] who can see the Maitlands, and becomes the first human friend they've had since their deaths. They become second parents for her, as they actually listen to her and help her more than her real parents do. [[spoiler: The ending shows the Maitlands and Deetzes peacefully living together, with the Maitlands celebrating with Lydia after she got an A on her math test]].

* ''Literature/LesMiserables'': Feeling guilty that his actions indirectly led to the death of Fantine, one of his former employees, Valjean visits the Thenardiers, the innkeepers who had been caring for Fantine's daughter Cosette, to take the little girl off their hands. He finds that unlike what they were telling Fantine, they were abusing Cosette and treating her as a servant. Under the care of the adoring Valjean, Cosette grows into a sweet and lovely young woman, and even [[spoiler:marries a rich and handsome young man]].

See also HealTheCutie and RecruitedFromTheGutter. Subtrope of HappilyAdopted. This experience with abuse may cause adoptees to worry about their VillainousLineage and doubt themselves.

* ''VideoGame/DragaliaLost'': Before the events of the game begin, the relationship that [[TheHero Euden]] and Zethia had with their siblings was... not healthy. The Alberian Royal Family is filled to the brim with [[BigBrotherBully Big Brother (and one Sister) Bullies]] who constantly pushed Euden and Zethia around in their childhoods. Even when most of them were old enough to start living their own lives, they still continued to push around Euden and Zethia while they were still living with their father. However, the game starts with them going on a mission for Euden to form a pact with Midgardsormer. Once they're done, though, circumstances prevent them from returning home, and [[DamselInDistress Zethia ends up getting kidnapped]]. It's not all bad, because on his way to form the pact, Euden found some new friends, where they all move into Midgardsormer's castle, the Halidom, where they quickly become a happy FamilyOfChoice that only grows larger as the game progresses. Even Zethia found her own found family while she was kidnapped because it turns out that [[DiscOneFinalBoss Morsayati]] sent Zethia to the past, where she ended up getting taken in by Meenee and Ilia, alongside Mordecai. When Zethia finally gets rescued by Euden, she happily reunites with her brother and his newfound family.

This could be the finale, making it overlap with EarnYourHappyEnding. Or, it could be part of a DarkAndTroubledPast, often exposed with a SomberBackstoryRevelation.

In some instances, this could suffer a false start or two, where the adoptive family turns out to be as bad or worse than the situation being fled, exchanging one type of abuse and manipulation for another. The result can be that our victim is wary and gunshy when someone genuinely good steps into their life.

See also HealTheCutie. Subtrope of HappilyAdopted.

* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'': Before he receives the Fire Ring, Wheeler has spent quite some time on the streets to avoid his [[AbusiveParents abusive father]]. However, upon joining the team, he gained a FamilyOfChoice -- the other Planeteers became his surrogate siblings, while Gaia and Captain Planet serve as {{Parental Substitute}}s for all of them.

Given that abuse is a sensative subject, Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease.

Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease.

* This is the premise of The OC, Ryan Atwood lives with a verbally abusive mother and her physically abusive boyfriend before he gets kicked out and adopted by the Cohen family.

[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]

* ''Film/SilentFall'': Dr. Jake Rainer, at the end of the film, has apparently adopted the autistic Tim Warden, who was being sexually abused by his late father. Tim's biological father and mother were killed [[spoiler: by his older sister, who had suffered the same abuse at her father's hands, and snapped when she caught her father abusing her little brother.]]

* In ''Series/DiagnosisMurder'' episode "[[Recap/DiagnosisMurderS7E7Gangland Gangland]]", Amanda Bentley, through her work at Community General Hospital, realizes that a child patient there - Deon - is being abused by his foster family (for example, in this episode he has a broken arm, which we find out in a subsequent episode was the punishment for losing a lunch box). She adopts him at the end of the episode, the beta plot of the episode being about the process she goes through to do this.

* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'': Before he receives the Fire Ring, Wheeler has spent quite some time on the streets to avoid his [[AbusiveParents abusive father]]. However, upon joining the team, he gained a FamilyOfChoice - the other Planeteers became his surrogate siblings, while Gaia and Captain Planet serve as {{Parental Substitute}}s for all of them.

** After [[spoiler: The HeelFaceTurn of the Collector and the destruction of Belos]], Hunter is taken in by Darius.

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]

** Cassandra Cain ran away from her abusive father when she was young and eventually was taken in alternately by Barbara Gordon and Bruce Wayne. How much she is treated as either of their child varies DependingOnTheWriter, not helped by Cassandra’d own struggle understanding relationships.

They're either an orphan, or their family is so absent that they might as well be.

* ''Manga/The100GirlfriendsWhoReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyLoveYou'': Mei?s parents were crippled by LoanShark debts, leading them to abuse and later disown her, leaving her believing that her life had no value whatsoever. She would?ve frozen to death if she wasn?t found by Hahari, who offered to adopt her into her family. [[SubvertedTrope Mei, however, turned down the offer in favor of the]] AdoptAServant [[DoubleSubversion approach, though the Hanazonos still treat her as though she were family.]]

* ''Manga/FairyTail'': Lucy as a child suffered from ParentalNeglect for several years courtesy of her father Jude after her late mother Layla passed away, this ended up negatively effecting Lucy to the point where she is introduced as a moody JerkWithAHeartOfGold in contrast to the NiceGirl that she used to be when she was a child. All of that ParentalNeglect culminated in her running away from home and joining the Fairy Tail guild who welcomed her with open arms as family, with the initial exception of Laxus, and have repeatedly shown being incredibly protective of her, most notably during the Phantom Lord arc. Lucy over the course of the series comes to reciprocate their love towards her and comes to see the Fairy Tail guild as being a much kinder and more loving second family to her then her own father Jude ever was, with guild master Makarov even admitting in the final chapter of the series while drunk that he views Lucy as being like a daughter to him. All of this positivity helps Lucy to heal from her pain over the course of the series leading her to develop back into the NiceGirl she always was deep down.

* ''Manga/OnePiece:'' In his [[DarkAndTroubledPast heart-wrenching backstory]], Chopper was a reindeer born with a blue nose, who the rest of his herd perpetually neglected due to this abnormality. Things got even worse when he ate the Human-Human Fruit which granted him anthropomorphism, and the herd casted him altogether. Then Chopper would try to meet and befriend humans by using the fruit's power to assume a tall and burly humanoid form, but this resulted in him looking like a sasquatch, and the humans shot at him in fear. After all of that hardship, he'd finally be adopted by the kindly Dr. Hiruluk who treated Chopper like a son, and taught him the virtues of love and healing ([[DeathByOriginStory this didn't last]]). Nowadays, Chopper has a place among the found family that is the Straw Hat Pirates surrounded, having people who love and accept him for who he is.

* ''Fanfic/InterNos'': Natsuki, orphaned [[LastOfHerKind last princess of the Ortygians]], is taken in by a noble family of the Otomeians at the age of 12. The eldest son, mistaking her ElectiveMute tendencies for weakness, [[AttemptedRape tries to force himself on her]]. She killed him in self defense. She was then taken in by King Kruger, who made sure she wanted for nothing, eventually making her the Captain of the elite Lupine Division, but by ensuring she earned it rather than nepotism. Her lover, Shizuru, learns all of this [[SomberBackstoryRevelation from the old Otomeian soldier who found Natsuki buried under the corpses of her family.]]

* ''Literature/OliverTwist'': Oliver is orphaned at a young age, and sent to live in a workhouse where he is overworked and underfed, along with all the other boys there. When he loses a lottery to ask for more food, he is expelled from the workhouse, and ends up in the company of Fagin, a professional thief. But on his first outing as a pickpocket, Oliver is instead taken in by his intended victim, Mr. Brownlow, then the Maylie family after Fagin reenters his life and forces him to attempt another robbery, before ultimately ending up in the care of Mr. Brownlow again, after a series of circumstances reveals that Oliver is actually from a well-to-do family and was sent to the orphanage by his evil half-brother to keep Oliver from his rightful share of the inheritence. In fact, Mrs. Maylie is his maternal aunt.

** Lance Sweets is revealed to be this in "Mayhem on a Cross", when Brennan sees the whip scars on his back. He was put in an abusive foster family as a young child, but was adopted at age 6 by a kind older couple, who passed away just before he started working with Booth and Brennan.

* ''Series/GoodTimes'': Penny (famously played by a young Music/JanetJackson) was a little girl living with an abusive single mother when she was adopted by Willona. Her mother did such things as burn her with a hot ironas a form of punishment.

* ''Series/TheWire'': In season 4, Bunny Colvin is introduced to Namond Brice, the son of incarcerated gang enforcer Wee-Bay and very emotionally abusive mother De'Londa. As it slowly becomes apparent that Namond does not have his father's applitude for the street life, while his mother expects him to be the breadwinner by dealing drugs, he ends up relying on Colvin for help, and at the end of the season, with his father's blessing, Colvin and his wife adopt Naymond, who is later shown to thrive and grow into a talented public speaker. The same season also sees Carver trying to adopt Randy Wagstaff, whose home was just firebombed leaving him homeless and with his foster mother in a coma, but Carver's lack of resources get in the way and Randy ends up in [[OrphanageOfFear a dangerous group home]]. Similarly, Pryzbylewski helps out with the severly neglected Duquan, taking his laundry and packing extra lunch to give him, but is limited in how much he can help, and the last he sees of him is when he comes to him to very obviously scam him for money, which Prez does give him, but tells him he doesn't expect to see him again.

* ''VideoGame/DragaliaLost'': Before the events of the game begin, the relationship that [[TheHero Euden]] and Zethia had with their siblings was... not healthy. The Alberian Royal Family is filled to the brim with [[BigBrotherBully Big Brother (and one Sister) Bullies]] who constantly pushed Euden and Zethia around in their childhoods. Even when most of them were old enough to start living their own lives, they still continued to push around Euden and Zethia while they were still living with their father. However, the game starts with them going on a mission for Euden to form a pact with Midgardsormer. Once they're done, though, circumstances prevent them from returning home, and [[DamselInDistress Zethia ends up getting kidnapped]]. It's not all bad, because on his way to form the pact, Euden found some new friends, where they all move into Midgardsormer's castle, the Halidom, where they quickly become a happy FamilyOfChoice that only grows larger as the game progresses. Even Zethia found her own found family while she was kidnapped, because it turns out that [[DiscOneFinalBoss Morsayati]] sent Zethia to the past, where she ended up getting taken in by Meenee and Ilia, alongside Mordecai. When Zethia finally gets rescued by Euden, she happily reunites with her brother and his new found family.
* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'': It turns out that [[spoiler:Queen Lumera isn't [[TheHero Alear's]] biological mother after all, and that their ''real'' biological parent is actually ''[[BigBad Sombron]]''. When Alear was with Sombron, he controlled his children with force, ''[[OffingTheOffspring killing]]'' them if they show any signs of disobedience. However, one day, after [[MyFutureSelfAndMe Alear loses a battle against their future self]], Lumera finds them lying unconscious. She takes them in, and Alear comes to accept her as their mother. Lumera's guidance is what inspires Alear to rebel against Sombron, turning them into the legendary hero as told in ancient scripture.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'': Before he received the Fire Ring, Wheeler has spent quite some time on the streets to avoid his [[AbusiveParents abusive father]]. However, upon joining the team, he gained a FamilyOfChoice - the other Planeteers became his surrogate siblings, while Gaia and Captain Planet serve as {{Parental Substitute}}s for all of them.

* Several members of the ''Comicbook/{{Batman}} Family were adopted from abusive circumstances.

* ''Series/That70sShow'': In the first season, Hyde is shown to be living in squalor with his parents having abandoned her. After Red and Kitty Forman see the conditions he was living in with his parents gone, they take him away and set him up in a room in the basement.

* ''Literature/LesMiserables'': Feeling guilty that his actions indirectly led to the death of Fantine, one of his former employees, Valjean visits the Thenardiers, the innkeepers who had been caring for Fantine's daughter Cosette, to take the little girl off their hands. He finds that unlike what they were telling Fantine, they were abusing Cosette and treating her as a servant. Under the care of the adoring Valjean, Cosette grows into a sweet and lovely young woman, and even [[spoiler:marries a rich and handsome young man]].