Posted on 10/13/2005 3:24:27 PM PDT by Constitutionalist Conservative
Oct.12, 2005 (Washington) -- Children growing up in same-sex parental households do not necessarily have differences in self-esteem, gender identity, or emotional problems from children growing up in heterosexual parent homes.
"There are a lot of children with at least one gay or lesbian parent," says Ellen C. Perrin, MD, professor of pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. She revealed the findings at the American Academy of Pediatrics Conference and Exhibition.
Between 1 million and 6 million children in the U.S. are being reared by committed lesbian or gay couples, she says. Children being raised by same-sex parents were either born to a heterosexual couple, adopted, or conceived through artificial insemination.
"The vast consensus of all the studies shows that children of same-sex parents do as well as children whose parents are heterosexual in every way," she tells WebMD. "In some ways children of same-sex parents actually may have advantages over other family structures."
Study Results
Researchers looked at information gleaned from 15 studies on more than 500 children, evaluating possible stigma, teasing and social isolation, adjustment and self-esteem, opposite gender role models, sexual orientation, and strengths.
Studies from 1981 to 1994, including 260 children reared by either heterosexual mothers or same-sex mothers after divorce, found no differences in intelligence, type or prevalence of psychiatric disorders, self-esteem, well-being, peer relationships, couple relationships, or parental stress.
"Some studies showed that single heterosexual parents' children have more difficulties than children who have parents of the same sex," Perrin says. "They did better in discipline, self-esteem, and had less psychosocial difficulties at home and at school."
Another study of 37 children of 27 divorced lesbian mothers and a similar number of children of heterosexual mothers found no differences in behavior, adjustment, gender identity, and peer relationships.
Equitable Division of Chores
Two other large studies involving more than 100 couples found that same-sex parents also had contact with extended family, had social support, and had a more equitable division of labor in the home.
"Lesbian couples share household responsibilities and chores more equitably," Perrin says. "And, the children of lesbian couples are less aggressive, more nurturing to peers, more tolerant of diversity, and more inclined to play with both boy's and girl's toys.
Children seem to adjust better when there is a more equal division of labor in the home and the parental relationship with the children had a higher rating, she says.
The combined data presented by Perrin showed that children whose parents are lesbian have no more problems than the rest of the children and actually may be more tolerant of differences, she says. There was suggestive evidence that there were more stresses due to the gender of same-sex parents, but the children also reported greater well-being, more nurturing, and a greater tolerance for differences.
What is striking is that there are very consistent findings in these studies," Perrin says.
Ryan Malone, who works in public relations in Washington, D.C., says after his parents were divorced he was reared by two "lesbian moms," while still staying in contact with his father.
"We lived in a small town," he says. "While I was open about my family, I didn't broadcast it."
At times he felt isolated because he didn't know any other families at the time headed by a same-sex couple, Malone says. "My parents overparented because they felt like the whole world was watching."
Emotional Topic
While further study should be done, this is important for pediatricians to know so they can learn more about variations in families and give appropriate advice in optimizing the child's development, Perrin says.
Carol Berkowitz, MD, former president of AAP, says this analysis is important in that it combines evidence-based studies.
"This subject evokes a lot of emotions," she says. "Some of the studies on this subject in the past have been weighted and biased, based on nothing more than the researcher's views."
Evidence-based studies are important in helping pediatricians in their practices and creating policy for the future, she says.
SOURCES: American Academy of Pediatrics Conference and Exhibition, Washington, D.C., Oct. 8-11, 2005. Ellen C. Perrin, MD, professor of pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston. Carol Berkowitz, MD, former president, American Academy of Pediatrics.
Children raised by wolves and or in the wild were able to master the language at least as well as some los angeles public school students by graduation at age 27.
Pitiful post-rational pedants.
Thou doth protest too much.
Horse hookie
Abuse in homo household is all too well known
What do they mean by "well adjusted"? Adjusted to what?
It's completely ridiculous to raise a study on adjustment when the same study is based on removing the consciousness of the factual inherent exploitative nature of homosexual "life" style from the subject under observation.
How do they react to a Christian or a Jew raising concerns about Homosexuality? Do they adjust well to that? To thinking? To consciousness?
says Ellen C. Perrin, MD, professor of pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston
Sounds to me like she has first hand knowledge.
"And, the children of lesbian couples are less aggressive,
No, they just scream "homophobe".
It all boils down to what your standard is. If the standard they use is completely blurring the gender barrier/rolls, then maybe they can say that these children come closer to meeting that standard.
On the other hand, this is obviously just another push to normalize what is NOT a normal activity or lifestyle. The left will use any data/standard they can generate/invent/creat/fake to push their ideals.
I don't want my children to respect diversity (at least not in the way the liberals mean it - accepting of blatantly wrong and immoral lifestyles and behaviors). My children are expected to respect people for who they are - by the content of their character (the left should like that phrase!) - and by the person's life, not by the simply color of skin/church they attend/etc. I want my children to understand what TRUTH is. I want my children to know the difference between moral and God-like behavior, and deviant immoral behavior. And I want those all based on my standard, which I get from the Bible and my own upbringing.
Oh she does, does she. More fun with numbers.
Here are some articles that do:
Dual-Gender Parenting: Optimal Child Rearing (NARTH), FreeRepublic
Professional Pediatrics Group Discourages Gay Parenting (NARTH), FreeRepublic
Homosexual Parenting: Is It Time For Change? (ACPEDS)
Are children of gay parents worse off? (TownHall), FreeRepublic
Who don't know what their gender is. Small detail.
Like going out for more batteries and K-Y.
I wonder how many of these kids turned out to be gay themselves. And does that fit their definition of "normal and well adjusted"?
If you want on/off the ping list let me and little jeremiah know.
Can you imagine a study claiming that they weren't well adjusted. It would be the last time that they got federal money to do a study.
Well axe murderin is just another alternative lifestyle dontcha know......
There have been criticisms leveled at this entire body of research because the number of children in each study is small, and they were all based on volunteers who came forward and agreed to participate in the studies and so the samples were quite unrepresentative, being mostly white, urban, well-educated and affluent. While it is true that the samples in each study were small, taken together we have data on more than 500 children whose parents were gay or lesbian, and there is an amazing consensus about the results.
What gives with this Doctor Ellen Perrin -is she a homosexual?
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