Parents’ Sexual Orientation And Child Outcomes
The document discusses research on outcomes for children with parents who are homosexual versus heterosexual. Early research had problems with social prejudice and discrimination. More recent research shows that children with homosexual parents do not differ in their sexual or gender identities compared to those with heterosexual parents. Research also shows that children with homosexual parents have normal social and emotional adjustment and are not more likely to experience issues like problems in school, legal troubles, or becoming dysfunctional parents themselves. However, some studies have found children with homosexual parents may be slightly more at risk for issues like substance abuse. The quality of the parent-child relationship appears to be a more significant predictor of child outcomes than the parent's sexual orientation alone.
Parents’ Sexual Orientation And Child Outcomes
- 1. Parents’ Sexual Orientation and Child Outcomes Is either better or worse?
- 2. History of the Research
- 3. Need to develop legal policy
- 5. Problems with the Research Social Prejudice Discrimination (Stacey & Biblarz, 2001)
- 6. Research now Birth Adopted
- 8. “ are not more likely to be gay than children with heterosexual parents. “ “ do not show differences in whether they think of themselves as male or female (gender identity) or behaviors (gender role)” American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry / ACLU / APA
- 9. “ experience homosexuality as their first sexual encounter.” “ are at a greater risk than children of heterosexual parents for becoming homosexual or bisexual.” Family Research Institute / American Family Association American College of Pediatricians / Focus on the Family
- 10. Social / Emotional Adjustment
- 11. are as well adjusted as children with heterosexual parents are not more likely than children of heterosexual parents to develop emotional or behavioral problems. are not more likely than children of heterosexual parents to experience difficulties in personal development (including personality, self-concept, and conduct). American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry / ACLU / APA
- 12. are more apt to be embarrassed by their homosexual parent(s), and be teased and taunted by their peers. are more likely than children of heterosexual parents to develop emotional or behavioral problems. are more likely than children of heterosexual parents to do poorly in school, get in trouble with the law, and become dysfunctional parents themselves. Family Research Institute / American Family Association American College of Pediatricians / Focus on the Family
- 13. Victimization
- 14. “ Homosexual Parents are more sexually promiscuous and more likely to molest their own children” Wardle (1997)
- 15. “ There is no evidence that homosexual parents abuse their children to a greater degree than heterosexual parents” Kimmel (2008)
- 16. Children of homosexual parents and teenager experiences
- 17. Findings No differences (Wainwright & Patterson, 2006)
- 18. Substance Abuse
- 19. find no notable differences between children reared by heterosexual parents and those reared by homosexual parents Stacey, J. & Biblarz, T. J. (2001) Children are at greater risk of losing a homosexual parent to substance abuse Children are more likely to abuse substances due to the confusion their parents are creating because of their confusion over their own gender and sexual identity Cameron, P. & Cameron, K. (1996)
- 20. Delinquency
- 21. Evidence indicates that children of lesbian and gay parents have normal social relationships with their peers and adults. Children of gay and lesbian parents enjoy a social life that is typical of their age group in terms of involvement with peers, parents, family members and friends Children might find a way to escape because they might feel embarrassed of having a homosexual parent which hinders their relationships with peers Cameron, P. & Cameron, K. (1996)
- 22. A more significant predictor Parent-Child Relationship (Wainwright & Patterson, 2006)