Study: Homosexuality Linked with Childhood Trauma

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | July 27, 2010 | By James Tillman

[topher]

Tuesday July 27, 2010

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Study: Homosexuality Linked with Childhood Trauma

By James Tillman

DUNEDIN, New Zealand, July 26, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) -- A recent Otago University study has found that homosexual or bisexual individuals are more likely to have undergone a variety of of traumas in childhood, including sexual assault, rape, violence, and witnessing violence in the home.

"People who either identify themselves as homosexual or bisexual, or have had a same-sex encounter or relationship, tend to come from more disturbed backgrounds," said Research Associate Professor Elisabeth Wells.

The study analyzed results from a New Zealand Mental Health study that surveyed about 13,000 people between 2003 and 2004.  98% of the participants in the study identified themselves as heterosexual; 0.8% identified as homosexual; 0.6% identified as bisexual; and 0.3% identified as "something else."

Of people who reported certain traumatic childhood events, 15% were not heterosexual; of those without such experiences, only 5% were not heterosexual, suggesting that such experiences tripled the chance of later professing homosexual or bisexual inclinations.

Some homosexualist leaders took issue with the study's findings: Tony Simpson, chairman of the national homosexualist group Rainbow Wellington, said that the research should not be taken to mean that homosexuals are not born that way. "I have no doubt that the religious right will leap to the conclusion that this goes to show conclusively that homosexuals are made rather than born," he said.

Wells attempted to assuage fears over the study's conclusions.

"I suspect there might be some gay and lesbian people who will be indignant, but it is not my intention to anger them," she said.  "You could say that if someone was sexually abused as a child, chooses to live as a homosexual and lives life well, then that is not a bad thing.  But if they are living a homosexual life and regretting it, that is another matter."

Although sexual or physical abuse in childhood was associated with adult homosexuality, other traumatic experiences, such as the sudden death of a loved one or serious childhood illness or accident, were only slightly associated with non-heterosexual identity or behaviour.

Of females who self-identified as homosexual, more than 40% had been married and had children, whereas 13% of male homosexuals had done so.  Over 80% of those who identified as bisexual were women.

The association between child abuse and later homosexual identification is not young.  

One 1992 study found that 37% of homosexual and bisexual men attending sexually transmitted disease clinics had been encouraged or forced to have sexual contact before age 19 with an older or more powerful partner.  The median age of first contact was 10 years old.

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jul/10072701.html

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[Bubba_Leroy]

It is a well known fact that most homosexuals are not born that way.

They just get sucked into it.

[brytlea]

Just curious if you think that abuse never happened in any of those times and places? That seems to be the gist of your post. I’m not taking a side on the issue, but your logic seems flawed.

[nmh]

I'll skip over your gobbledygook.

Homosexuality is not a trait when you are BORN. It is not present.

Homosexuality is a result of ABUSE; either emotional or physical. It's like a bad tasting family recipe that keeps circulating in the family. It is also an acquired behavior in other environments such as prison. Many black men are bisexual. They go in there as heterosexual but due to lack of self control, dabble with homosexual sex. When they are released they go back to their girl friends but some learned to enjoy sex with other males and continue to pursue it. Eventually they pick up aids and bring it home to their wife or girl friend. It's an ugly secret they don't want you to know.

When someone has the CORRECT emotional upbringing they will not be homosexuals. When boys are encouraged to be BOYS; they will be BOYS. When boys are encouraged to be GIRLS; this will help make them effeminate and making them a tempting morsel for a homosexual as they are rejected by males that are not effeminate.

Much has to do with upbringing and encouraging the proper ROLE of each gender. No one, is predisposed to same sex attraction. Admiring someone and looking up to someone is not SEXUAL ATTRACTION. Stupid adults often mistake that for homosexuality and actually ENCOURAGE homosexuality.

You may be happy sitting on the fence trying to please everyone with nonsense, but I won't be sitting next to you. There is nothing NORMAL about homosexuality and no one is born a homosexual. In summary, ABUSE evolves in many ways, physical, emotional, environment and eventually it will take its toll on a person.

[butterdezillion]

I’d also be interested to see if there are any studies regarding the effects of bullying or being labeled as effeminate (for guys) by others. Boys who aren’t athletic, for instance, could have a rough time identifying themselves as male/manly in the face of constant ridicule and speculation. It might be easier psychologically to just give up and be what everybody says you are.

I see stuff going on in my kids’ school and I really feel for the kids who are “different” in non-sexual ways and it gets sexualized in the attitudes surrounding them.

[jagusafr]

Precisely - which is the main reason I’m not sure what course I will take if “don’t ask, don’t tell” is repealed. Can I continue to serve in an organization that forces me to recognize as true something which is clearly not true?

Colonel, USAFR

[jagusafr]

But haven’t you heard? “We don’t recruit”.

Bravo Sierra.

Colonel, USAFR

[stuartcr]

I don’t know any personally, that I know of, but why do you think it’s clear? Wouldn’t you have to have an awful lot of data, going back centuries, for it to be clearly a case of traumatic abuse?

[LaineyDee]

What about those that didn’t undergo any trauma?

They're probably lying. I have known/met many, many homosexuals...male/female over the years. Each of them had a "story" to tell.

[purpleporter]

While I totally agree that in some cases this is absolutely correct, there are many people who were not/have not been abused and still are homosexual.

To simply say that being gay is a choice is extremely ignorant. If this were true, then you being hetero is also a choice right? And if you being hetero is a choice, then this would mean that you like both sexes, could have sex with either sex, but PREFER the opposite sex.

When I ask someone “straight” who says being gay is a “choice”, I would often reply, “To act on it is a choice. But attracted to it is not.”

In fact many men in the Priesthood who are gay, promise not to act on it due to their faith. However, personally that is like expecting a dog not to wag his tail when he sees his owner come home. Nuns often are better at not acting on their desire than priests.

But most people who are gay are born this way just as many people who are born “straight”. No straight person would say he simply chooses the opposite. They can’t help their desire for the opposite, it is this strong. The same can be stated for the homosexual. However, the former is the normal around 90% and the latter is demonized and around 10%. Of course, they have trouble admitting to being different.

And if it really is just a “choice” why on earth would all these gay people CHOOSE condemnation?? I mean, think about it...IF you liked the opposite sex as well, would you not want to FIT IN with society.

Another thing...

I guess all these “gay” animals from birds to our dogs have been sexually abused in their baby stages. You know there are a heck of a lot of same sex pairing in the animal kingdom.

And don’t pretend we are not from the animal kingdom because we are. We just are too full of ourselves to think otherwise.

[wilco200]

Another conclusion that didn’t need a study.

[Bigg Red]

...some of these people appear to have some kind of hormonal imbalance that makes them act effeminate and therefore easy to spot.

&&&
Have you not also encountered heterosexual men who acted effeminate and heterosexual women who seeme masculine? I have.

[stuartcr]

Probably

[Cacique]

There may be a predisposition based on hormonal production, but it would eventuate only under the right conditions, and then die out....because there would be no offspring. Or very few, in some unusual cases.

Not if as for most circumstances because homosexual behavior is frowned upon by most societies they may not be open about it and reproducing in higher numbers than you think. We simply don't know or have enough data. Political correctness has made research in this area a third rail for researchers and the fact is we have few clues on the subject.

[AdmSmith]

I anticipate that this is very important:

Sexual orientation and its basis in brain structure and function

Current evidence indicates that sexual differentiation of the human brain occurs during fetal and neonatal development and programs our gender identity—our feeling of being male or female and our sexual orientation as hetero-, homo-, or bisexual. This sexual differentiation process is accompanied by many structural and functional brain differences among these groups (1). In previous studies (2, 3), the Savic laboratory detected a sex-differentiated activation of the anterior hypothalamus in heterosexual men (HeM) and heterosexual women (HeW) and a sex-atypical, almost reversed, pattern of activation in homosexual men (HoM) and homosexual women (HoW). The hypothalamus (Fig. 1) is a small brain area located under the anterior commissure that is involved in many different functions, including reproduction.
http://www.pnas.org/content/105/30/10273.full

[ClearCase_guy]

You're looking at it backwards. For centuries, most societies (yes, even the Greeks and Romans for the most part) considered homosexuality among adult males to be abnormal. It was frowned upon and often treated very harshly. The historical data that you are looking for is quite clear: homosexuality was considered an aberration.

Now, in 1969, the APA decided to reclassify homosexuality and declare that it was not a mental illness. If effect, people are "born that way".

Personally, I'd like to see centuries of genetic studies that prove that people are "born that way" -- but no such studies exist. At all. No genetic trace has ever been verified.

So, we are back with the age old concept that homosexuals are "messed up people". Until somone comes up with compelling proof that this is not the case, I won't consider homosexuals to be either normal or "born that way".

[Cacique]

fact is we have no clue as to why or where etc... Once in a while we get studies that give us a clue and then are suppressed by the establishment. Research into homosexuality has become a third rail in science and there is no funding for it by most governments.

[Valpal1]

Homosexuals have existed since we first climbed down from trees or out of caves.

So has abuse and exploitation of children, duh. Homosexuality is a disordered response to trauma, Stockholm syndrome, adopt the worldview and persona of the powerful abuser in order to insulate and encapsulate the trauma. The prey becomes the predator. Story as old as time.

[east1234]

Add in an inattentive father, the two I know had both.

[Ben Mugged]

Just curious if you think that abuse never happened in any of those times and places? That seems to be the gist of your post. I’m not taking a side on the issue, but your logic seems flawed.

I'm sure abuse has happened throughout the ages. I don't think childhood abuse is the root cause of homosexuality in the majority of instances. As another poster said to me Boys who are morphologically effeminate are physically assaulted and impressed into homosexuality by other men trying to show their physical dominance . The key point within his own argument is Boys who are morphologically effeminate admitting that some boys are born with effeminate tendencies. I personally believe that some homosexuality is a personal choice and other is genetics.

I am OK with either form as long as it is not rubbed in my face or causes me to lose my rights. I also don't believe the Government has any business in marriage including giving rights to those folks who are "married". Marriage is a sacrament of the church and as such should not be regulated or sanctioned by the Government. If any citizen has the right then all citizens should have the right to a civil union which should be regulated and sanctioned by the state governments. Civil unions should have no bearing on the religious bonding which is marriage.

[Tijeras_Slim]

0.3% identified as "something else."

Blogpimps.