Content uploaded by Walter R Schumm
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Walter R Schumm on Feb 21, 2019
Content may be subject to copyright.
A preview of the PDF is not available
A Review and Critique of Research on Same-Sex Parenting and Adoption
Abstract
Are the outcomes for children of gay, lesbian, or bisexual parents in general the same as those for heterosexual parents? That controversial question is discussed here in a detailed review of the social science literature in three parts: (1) stability of same-sex parental relationships, (2) child outcomes, and (3) child outcomes in same-sex adoption. Relationship instability appears to be higher among gay and lesbian parent couples and may be a key mediating factor influencing outcomes for children. With respect to part 2, while parental self-reports usually present few significant differences, social desirability or self-presentation bias may be a confounding factor. While some researchers have tended to conclude that there are no differences whatsoever in terms of child outcomes as a function of parental sexual orientation, such conclusions appear premature in the light of more recent data in which some different outcomes have been observed in a few studies. Studies conducted within the past 10 years that compared child outcomes for children of same-sex and heterosexual adoptive parents were reviewed. Numerous methodological limitations were identified that make it very difficult to make an accurate assessment of the effect of parental sexual orientation across adoptive families. Because of sampling limitations, we still know very little about family functioning among same-sex adoptive families with low or moderate incomes, those with several children, or those with older children, including adolescents or how family functioning may change over time. There remains a need for high-quality research on same-sex families, especially families with gay fathers and with lower income.
... First, it is one of the first qualitative studies on the school experiences of children with lesbian mothers in Italy investigated through an interview with children rather than through self-report tools. Research on the well-being and school adjustment of children with SGPs has been conducted through parents' , teachers' , and educators' narratives, and these sample selections may present a significant bias regarding social desirability (Schumm, 2016). ...
Research on the school experiences of children with same-gender parents has been conducted through parents’, teachers’, and educators’ narratives, while children’s perspectives are still unexplored in the LGBTQ+ field. The present study explores the quality of school experience in 36 children (6–12 years; Mage = 8.98; SDage = 2.23) of 30 lesbian mothers (19 boys and 17 girls) born through assisted reproductive techniques. We used the specific section of the Friends and Family Interview regarding children’s school experience (school experience section) that provides a measure of a child’s school competence in terms of excitement and confidence in schoolwork, relationships with peers and teachers in the school context, and the child’s engagement in school. Children describe school environments as contexts where they feel welcomed without episodes of discrimination or homophobic bullying from their peers. We performed a reflexive thematic analysis regarding the answers related to their relationships with their favorite teacher(s). The children suggest feelings of security and acceptance from teachers and report positive relationships with them declined into four different themes: (1) funny teacher and positive school climate; (2) kindness and patience; (3) engaging with ‘unconventional activities’; and (4) protective and normative behaviors. The present study underlines the relevance of inclusive curricula, anti-bullying policies, and safe school practices regarding same-gender parent families. Moreover, teachers must be attuned to children’s school experiences with same-gender parents and cultivate caring classroom environments.
Introduction
The present study represents a systematic review and two meta-analyses summarizing existing literature investigating same-gender parent (SGP) families’ experiences in the school context, considering teachers’ and SGPs’ perspectives.
Methods
Relevant articles were systematically searched in three scientific databases (i.e., PsychInfo, Pubmed, and Scopus) from May 2023 to March 2024. We included original articles with relevant keywords associated with “children in SGP families” and “school contexts”.
Results
Of the 3370 records identified, 143 articles were included in the systematic review, of which 11 were included in the two meta-analyses. We examined the publications according to teachers’ perspectives (51 articles), SGPs’ perspectives (81 articles), and teachers’ and parents’ differences (16 articles). The first meta-analysis findings suggested no differences between teachers’ and SGPs’ perspectives regarding SGPs’ children’s internalizing (d = 0.09; 16 studies) and externalizing (d = 0.07; 16 studies) behaviors. Lastly, the second meta-analysis found higher teacher evaluation than SGPs on children’s social skills (d = -0.16; 12 studies). Two father SGPs evaluated their children’s social skills less than teachers (d = -0.26; 4 studies).
Conclusions
Teachers reported the need for adequate preparation in working with SGP families: Specialized training programs are essential to equip teachers with the knowledge, skills, and sensitivity needed to foster an inclusive and equitable learning environment.
Policy Implications
The present systematic review and meta-analyses could have relevant social and policy implications for improving SGPs’ and their children’s well-being in school.
In the era of information technology, where children can access various issues via the internet and absorb various teachings from social media, parents need to be more active in building a Christian worldview for their children, so that their Christian faith are not spoiled. Through apologetics, parents can convey rational and intellectual answers. So far, the study of apologetics was merely associated with the church's efforts to carry out its mission or maintain the faith of its congregation, but this has not come to the study of the importance of apologetics in the family. This article, written as literature research, shows that apologetics can be applied within the Christian family. Through this study it can be concluded that apologetics can be an effective approach to maintaining children's Christian faith if it is conducted by paying attention to cognitive, moral and faith development according to their age.Abstrak. Di era teknologi informasi, di mana anak-anak dapat mengakses berbagai isu melalui internet dan menyerap berbagai ajaran dari media sosial, orang tua perlu lebih aktif dalam membangun cara pandang Kristen (Christian worldview) dalam diri anak-anak, agar mereka tidak terseret oleh nilai-nilai yang bertentangan dengan iman Kristiani. Melalui apologetika, orang tua dapat menyampaikan jawaban yang bersifat rasional dan intelektual. Selama ini kajian apologetika dikaitkan dengan upaya gereja dalam melakukan misinya atau mempertahankan iman para jemaatnya, namun belum sampai pada kajian tentang pentingnya apologetika dalam keluarga. Artikel yang ditulis sebagai hasil dari riset literatur ini menunjukkan apologetika dapat diterapkan dalam lingkup keluarga Kristen. Melalui kajian ini dapat disimpulkan bahwa apologetika dapat menjadi pendekatan yang efektif untuk mempertahankan iman Kristiani anak selama dilakukan dengan memperhatikan perkembangan kognitif, moral, dan iman sesuai usia mereka.
The prevalence of children being raised by one or more parent who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, has increased dramatically since the late 1990s. This entry discusses the prevalence of LGBT parenthood in the United States today, explores unique legal and epidemiological issues affecting this population, and reviews research on family functioning and child outcomes.
This article reviews the literature between 2015 and 2022 on mental health disparities between children with gender and sexual minority parents and children with different-sex parents. Although most studies indicate that children with gender and sexual minority parents do not experience more mental health problems than children with different-sex parents, the results are mixed and depend on the underlying sample. The review highlights important shortcomings that characterize this literature, including cross-sectional survey samples, correlational methods, lack of diversity by country, and a lack of research on children with transgender and bisexual parents. Therefore, substantial caution is warranted when attempting to arrive at an overall conclusion based on the current state of the literature. Suggestions are provided that can guide academic work when studying mental health outcomes of children with gender and sexual minority parents in the future.
The development of self and the building of self-representations take place in a continuous process between infant, child, and primary caregivers. These processes are based on interpersonal communications with all their asymmetrical needs, desires, and satisfactions. Infant- and children’s research show the importance of the quality of the early emotional relationship between infant and primary caregivers. Parents’ sensitive receptiveness to their infant and child’s expressions will shape his unique personality.What constitutes the parents’ intra-psychic reality will unfold in fantasized and emotional interactions with the baby, then the child, by intersubjective exchanges and interpersonal relationships. Early parent-child relationship disorders are presented.Adoption and reproductive medicine are today available options for couples with involuntary childlessness as a possibility to realize their desire for a child. In both situations, the future parents need to grieve their imaginary child, who could not be conceived without the intervention of a third party (adoption agency or reproductive medicine). The specificity of parenthood by surrogacy or by sexual and gender minorities and the adoption-specific adjustment difficulties of foster or older children are described.KeywordsSelf-developmentParent-child-relationshipParenthoodAdoptionReproductive medicine
Social science is commonly used in debates about controversial issues, especially for those concerning human sexuality. However, caution must be exercised in interpreting such social science literature, because of a variety of methodological and theoretical weaknesses that are not uncommon. Families are complex structurally and over time; such data are not easily analyzed. Merely determining the number of, for example, sexual minority families has been a difficult task. While some new theories are popular with social scientists, for example, sexual minority theory, they are often used to the exclusion of other, equally valid theories and often are not well tested empirically. Some types of families remain relatively unexamined. Social scientists can be biased by their own values, which are reflected in weak use of theory and in a variety of methodological problems. Eight studies are presented as examples of probable confirmation bias, in which methods and theory were modified in unusual ways that may have affected the outcomes and conclusions. Suggestions for improving social science include greater attention to effect sizes rather than statistical significance per se, deliberately minimizing the politicization of science, developing a culture of humility with respect to social science, deliberately reducing common biases, and maintaining a deeper curiosity about social science than is often seen. Scientists must be open to seeing their best “sacred cow” ideas or theories disproven or modified with increases in research on such issues.
Summary
In controversial areas of social science, there can be numerous threats to the validity of science. Here, some of the more common risks for social science research and theory are examined, with several specific illustrations of how bias appears to have crept into social science, often as confirmation bias. Recommendations are made for reducing bias in future research.
Legal and policy questions relevant to the lives of lesbian and gay parents and their children have recently been subjects of vigorous debate. Among the issues for which psychological research has been seen as particularly relevant are questions regarding child custody after divorce, same-sex marriage, adoption, and foster care. This article provides an overview of the current legal terrain for lesbian and gay parents and their children in the United States today, an overview of relevant social science research, and some commentary on the interface between the two. It is concluded that research findings on lesbian and gay parents and their children provide no warrant for legal discrimination against these families.
Null hypothesis statistical testing (NHST) has been debated extensively but always successfully defended. The technical merits of NHST are not disputed in this article. The widespread misuse of NHST has created a human factors problem that this article intends to ameliorate. This article describes an integrated, alternative inferential confidence interval approach to testing for statistical difference, equivalence, and indeterminacy that is algebraically equivalent to standard NHST procedures and therefore exacts the same evidential standard. The combined numeric and graphic tests of statistical difference, equivalence, and indeterminacy are designed to avoid common interpretive problems associated with NHST procedures. Multiple comparisons, power, sample size, test reliability, effect size, and cause–effect ratio are discussed. A section on the proper interpretation of confidence intervals is followed by a decision rule summary and caveats.
Psychology celebrates diversity, recognizes the value and legitimacy of diverse beliefs, and strives to be inclusive. Yet, the profession lacks sociopolitical diversity. Most psychologists are politically liberal, and conservatives are vastly underrepresented in the profession. Moreover, when sociopolitical views guide the research, advocacy, or professional practice of psychologists, those views most often are liberal. The lack of political diversity in psychology has unintended negative consequences for research, policy advocacy, clinical practice, the design and implementation of social interventions, and professional education. It excludes or marginalizes conservatives and conservative views, having detrimental effects on the profession in each of these areas. This article examines the importance of political diversity and the negative consequences of its absence and provides strategies for increasing sociopolitical pluralism in psychology.
Depression is a widespread condition affecting approximately 7.5 million parents in the U.S. each year and may be putting at least 15 million children at risk for adverse health outcomes. Based on evidentiary studies, major depression in either parent can interfere with parenting quality and increase the risk of children developing mental, behavioral and social problems. Depression in Parents, Parenting, and Children highlights disparities in the prevalence, identification, treatment, and prevention of parental depression among different sociodemographic populations. It also outlines strategies for effective intervention and identifies the need for a more interdisciplinary approach that takes biological, psychological, behavioral, interpersonal, and social contexts into consideration. A major challenge to the effective management of parental depression is developing a treatment and prevention strategy that can be introduced within a two-generation framework, conducive for parents and their children. Thus far, both the federal and state response to the problem has been fragmented, poorly funded, and lacking proper oversight. This study examines options for widespread implementation of best practices as well as strategies that can be effective in diverse service settings for diverse populations of children and their families. The delivery of adequate screening and successful detection and treatment of a depressive illness and prevention of its effects on parenting and the health of children is a formidable challenge to modern health care systems. This study offers seven solid recommendations designed to increase awareness about and remove barriers to care for both the depressed adult and prevention of effects in the child. The report will be of particular interest to federal health officers, mental and behavioral health providers in diverse parts of health care delivery systems, health policy staff, state legislators, and the general public. © 2009 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.