Outcomes for children with lesbian or gay parents. A review of studies from 1978 to 2000

Anderssen, Norman; Amlie, Christine; Ytterøy, Erling André

doi:10.1111/1467-9450.00302

Cited by 151 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…The lesbian family is often described as a new family form in the Western world (Anderssen, Amlie & Ytterøy, 2002;Bos, van Balen & van den Boom, 2005). Such claims definitely give a limited picture.…”

Section: Lesbian Families and Modern Family Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Pride and Prejudice : Lesbian Families in Contemporary Sweden

Malmquist

2015

Linköping Studies in Behavioural Science

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To my children, Emil, Nils, Myran and Tove Färgen på barns ögon kommer från arvet, glittret i barns ögon kommer från miljön.The colour of children's eyes comes from nature, the sparkle in children's eyes comes from nurture. AbstractOptions and possibilities for lesbian parents have changed fundamentally since the turn of the millennium. A legal change in 2003 enabled a same-sex couple to share legal parenthood of the same child. An additional legal change, in 2005, gave lesbian couples access to fertility treatment within public healthcare in Sweden. The present thesis focuses on families where two women share legal parenthood of their children. It aims to provide knowledge about lesbian parenting couples and their children, and to focus on the interplay between family members within lesbian families, and between family members and their surroundings. Furthermore, the thesis aims to visualize and analyse notions of heteronormativity and homonormativity in contemporary Sweden. The thesis draws on interviews with 118 parents in 61 families, and 12 children in 11 families. The participants' stories, descriptions, reflections and discourses have been analysed using discursive psychology and thematic analysis.The thesis includes five empirical papers. Paper I focuses on encounters with healthcare professionals prior to and during pregnancy, at childbirth and during the early stages of parenthood. Paper II deals with the participants' experiences of second-parent adoption processes. Paper III focuses on equality in parenting relations. Paper IV focuses on encounters with fertility clinics within public healthcare. Paper V highlights the children's reflections and shows how the children talk about fathers and donors.

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Section: Lesbian Families and Modern Family Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Pride and Prejudice : Lesbian Families in Contemporary Sweden

Malmquist

2015

Linköping Studies in Behavioural Science

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“…20 A large body of scientific literature demonstrates that children and adolescents who grow up with gay and/or lesbian parents fare as well in emotional, cognitive, social, and sexual functioning as do children whose parents are heterosexual. [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] Although the methodologic challenges are daunting in addressing phenomena as complex and multifactorial as children' s longterm developmental and psychosocial outcomes, the literature accumulated over more than 30 years, taken together, provides robust, reliable, and valid assurance about the well-being of children raised by parents of the same gender. 28,29 The first review of available data regarding the well-being of children living with lesbian or gay parents concluded that "While research on these topics is relatively new….there is no evidence that the development of children with lesbian and gay parents is compromised in any significant respect relative to that among children of heterosexual parents in otherwise comparable circumstances."…”

Section: Children's Developmental Trajectory and Psychological Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting the Well-Being of Children Whose Parents Are Gay or Lesbian

Perrin¹,

Pawelski²,

Siegel³

et al. 2013

Pediatrics

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Extensive data available from more than 30 years of research reveal that children raised by gay and lesbian parents have demonstrated resilience with regard to social, psychological, and sexual health despite economic and legal disparities and social stigma. Many studies have demonstrated that children' s well-being is affected much more by their relationships with their parents, their parents' sense of competence and security, and the presence of social and economic support for the family than by the gender or the sexual orientation of their parents. Lack of opportunity for same-gender couples to marry adds to families' stress, which affects the health and welfare of all household members. Because marriage strengthens families and, in so doing, benefits children' s development, children should not be deprived of the opportunity for their parents to be married. Paths to parenthood that include assisted reproductive techniques, adoption, and foster parenting should focus on competency of the parents rather than their sexual orientation.

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“…In the study done in 1983 the authors found that in terms of sexual preferences, stigmatization, gender role behaviour, behavioural adjustment and gender identity, there were no differences between the two groups comprising children aged 5 to 17 years, of whom the first group (37 children) lived in single-or two-parent lesbian families and the comparative group (38 children) lived with single-parent heterosexual mothers. The only difference between the two groups of children in 1983 was that more children of heterosexual mothers had symptoms of mental health problems than children from families with lesbian parents (Golombok & Tasker, 1996, Anderssen, Amlie & YitterØy, 2002. The research study conducted in 1997 showed no differences between the two compared groups (ibid.).…”

Section: What Do Longitudinal Research Studies and Meta-analyses Of Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children in rainbow families

Hočevar¹

2014

Annual of Social Work

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SUMMARYThis article discusses rainbow families, families formed by one or two same-sex attracted persons raising a child or children. It examines the findings of different research studies undertaken internationally (primarily in the USA and Western Europe) focusing on whether children growing up in rainbow families differ from children growing up in other family forms. The research findings demonstrate that there are no statistically significant differences between children being raised by rainbow families and other family forms with regard to the formation of gender identity, gender roles, emotional and cognitive development, or psychological and behavioural adjustments. However, the health and well-being of children growing up in rainbow families does depend on the (fear of) stigmatization and discrimination against these children in society.

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Outcomes for children with lesbian or gay parents. A review of studies from 1978 to 2000

Cited by 151 publications

References 48 publications

Pride and Prejudice : Lesbian Families in Contemporary Sweden

Pride and Prejudice : Lesbian Families in Contemporary Sweden

Promoting the Well-Being of Children Whose Parents Are Gay or Lesbian

Children in rainbow families

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