Jumat, 22 Juni 2012

Children of lesbian couples are NOT affected by lack of male role models, claims controversial new study

Children of lesbian couples are NOT affected by lack of male role models, claims controversial new study

  • New research refutes recent report claiming children of same-sex parents are more prone to psychological problems as adults

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 12:13 EST, 21 June 2012 | UPDATED: 05:25 EST, 22 June 2012

A new paper contradicts claims that children of same-sex parents are prone to experience psychological problems as adults.

The U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS) examined how the lack of a male role model affects the children of lesbian couples.

Using the testimonies of 78 teenagers, researchers in Amsterdam and California determined that neither the presence nor lack of a father figure affected their gender development or their psychological well being.

Happy families: A new study has found that the children of lesbian couples are not affected by the lack of a male role model

Happy families: A new study has found that the children of lesbian couples are not affected by the lack of a male role model

The findings shed light on a highly debated subject and follow hot on the heels of the University of Texas' widely criticised study published last week.

Led by Henny Bos of the University of Amsterdam and Nanette Gartrell of UCLA's Williams Institute, the NLLFS is the first and only study to have recorded the progress of children from same sex couples since conception.

Dr Gartrell explained to MailOnline: 'Our [study] is an in-depth, longitudinal, prospective (meaning it is happening in real time, not asking questions about events that occurred 30 years ago) study of PLANNED lesbian families (meaning that the mothers were OUT, IDENTIFIED AS LESBIAN before the children we have been studying were born) that began 26 years ago.'

The investigation kicked off in 1986 and has spawned many sub-papers, the most recent of which looked at the 39 girls and 39 boys as they turned 17. 

The teenagers were asked whether they had grown up with male role models and if so whether that person was a biological father, a grandfather, a cousin, teacher or even friend.

Of the 78 participants, 38 indicated that they had indeed enjoyed the influence of an important male role model in their lives and of these, roughly half were boys and half were girls.

Given ten adjectives that described typically feminine traits and ten that reflected those we've come to understand as masculine, the teens were asked to rate each word as it pertained to their own personality and character.

The results showed that the presence of a male role model did affect the way a child developed its own gender traits.

'Our study is happening in real time, not asking questions about eve nts that occurred 30 years ago'

Another exercise asked the subjects to rate buzzwords that described feelings such as anxiety, depressed, angry or curious and found again, that whether or not they had a male role model did affect their mental health.

As Dr Gartrell put it to Buzzfeed: 'The adolescents are doing very well.'

Dr Mark Regerus of the University of Texas, however, was sceptical about the Dr Bos and Dr Gartrell's findings and based his criticism on their study candidates' backgrounds, 87per cent of which are white and about 57pre cent middle-class.

He told Buzzfeed that he doubted whether such a small sampling of 'of largely well-educated, mostly-white women' could truthful represent lesbian families nationwide. < br />

Though the NFFLS team were reluctant to compare the two they did point out the importance of the length of their study and how closely they had managed to follow the parents and children by visiting them at home and recording development with 'with paper, pencil, and tape recorders.'

Dr Regerus' report on the other hand looked at 3,000 children whose parents had at one time or another been involved in a same-sex relationship but who were not necessarily in one now or even identified themselves as gay or lesbian.

In contrast, though half of the parents in the NFFLS study who had started families together in 1986 had since divorced or split up, they were all still co-parenting and providing as stable an environment for the children as possible in such circumstances.

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

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It is possible for unusual things to be successful you know. Just as it's possible for children with a male and female parent to turn out badly. There are a far larger number of families that provide unsuitable environments for a child to grow up, than there are same-sex couples raising children.

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It's interesting to see green arrows when it comes to supporting gay individuals couples. However when it comes to them being parents the arrows turn red. Perhaps we should do a study on that :)

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another study where men aren't needed in the home.

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Two women (or two men) are just as good as raising a child together and providing what a child needs from both a mother and a father, as they would be making that child . . IMO - Dave, thankfullynotthereanymore ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ and IMO you and people like you are very wrong and very dangerous. Call me homophobic or whatever ridiculous name you want to come up with, but there is a reason that the biological equipment to create a child is spread between a man and a woman. Without scientific interferance, two men can't create a child, nor can two women. Why do you suppose that is?

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Absolutely amazed that the comments dismissing this story are rated so highly. It's the 21st CENTURY! Children grow up with only one parent, so surely better to have two loving parents?

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What utter rubbish.

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Ask people when they're 50 and see what they say then. I'm 60+ and feel more connected with my dad than ever and he died in 1977. You can't manufactor that innate awareness of who you are and why.

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My gosh, what a lot of nasty people who when presented with facts still come back with hate and bigotry. Girls without fathers get pregnant and boys turn to crime?? Where do people do their own research, in the gossip aisle. I best friend's lesbian partner has 2 very fine sons at 14 and 17, both doing extremely well at school and in sports. No man ever in their life and they are fit, happy and loved. Why can't people just rejoice about this when so many straight parents are doing it wrong!!!! Both my parents are straight and they didn't do a great job at all... but shhhhh let's not talk about all the children in care, being abused and allowed to watch internet porn with straight parents. Hypocrites!

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Don't believe, this is a feminist study to counter recent research shows fathers important in childrens life more than mother. Also uk govt going to give more right for fathers after divorce. In some U.S states are thinking to introduce shared parenting or more time after divorce. Radical feminists become physic and giving huge fund to various organization to counter the research.

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I have some friends who are lesbian and have adopted 2 children. You couldn't wish to meet two more polite, intelligent and well-adjusted kids. Just goes to show that it is the attitude, not gender or sexual orientation, of the parents that makes all the difference.

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