I’m pleased to see this study released that teens raised by lesbian couples don’t seem to be any more screwed up than most teens.
The researchers found no differences between the two groups in terms of depression, anxiety, self-esteem and school grades. Exactly the same proportion of both groups also reported having had sex (34%).
But while a previous study suggested children of gay parents were more likely to consider homosexual relationships, this study was unable to provide such information because so few teens reported same-sex attractions and romances.
The single most important predictor of the teens’ well being, the study showed, was their relationship with parents – regardless of family type. ?What’s really important is the quality of the relationship,” Russell told New Scientist.
As a result, the authors write that their findings “provide no justification for limitations on child custody or visitation by lesbian mothers” and “do not support the idea that lesbian and gay adults are less likely than others to provide good adoptive or foster homes”.
Now I’m sure that those opposed to such households will find reasons to pick at the study results. Of the 12,000 teens in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, only 44 teens were identified by researchers as being raised by two women in a “marriage-like” relationship. Some, then, will critique the sample size. (Of course, that raises a Catch-22 of such relationships not being given wide support because there aren’t enough of them around to demonstrate that they should be given wide support.) Others will note that this only involves lesbian women, not gay men (only six teens reported similar situations, which the researchers deemed an inadequate sample).
I am old-fashioned enough to think that there is value in children being raised in households with both genders of adult present. That said, there are a lot more single parents, or even mixed-gender parents with crappy relationships out there, than would make me think that any hypothetical disadvantage from same-gender parents would be far more outweighed by, as the researchers note, the quality of the parental relationship. In other words, it’s the people, not the plumbing, that’s the most important factor.
I don’t expect to see this study settle any of the debate, but hopefully it’s one more piece of ammo for those gay couples who wish to adopt or have custody of children.
(via Les)