Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter?

Rachel H. Farr; Stephen L. Forssell; Charlotte J. Patterson

doi:10.1080/10888691.2010.500958

Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter?

Rachel H. Farr, Stephen L. Forssell, Charlotte J. Patterson

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

164 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study investigated child development and parenting in 106 families headed by 27 lesbian, 29 gay, and 50 heterosexual couples (80% White, M1/4 42 years) with young adopted children (41% White, M 1/43 years). Parents and teachers reported that, on average, children were developing in typical ways. Measures of children's adjustment, parenting approaches, parenting stress, and couple relationship adjustment were not significantly associated with parental sexual orientation. However, several family process variables-parenting stress, parenting approaches, and couple relationship adjustment-were found to be significantly associated with children's adjustment, regardless of parental sexual orientation. Implications for understanding the role of gender and sexual orientation in parenting, as well as for legal and policy debates, are discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	164-178
Number of pages	15
Journal	Applied Developmental Science
Volume	14
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2010.500958
State	Published - Jul 2010

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported in part by grants from the Williams Institute at UCLA to Charlotte J. Patterson. We also wish to thank: Amori Yee Mikami, Monica Erbacher, Jacqueline Wheeler, Kathleen Doss, Dylan Comstock, Timothy Tuan, Katherine Jetton, Brittany Shean, Chalatwan Vasontara, Janine Beha, Scott Kraiterman, Carly Roberts, Charlotte Blutstein, Claudia Amendola, Lindsay Walter-Cox, Thomas Lotito, Justin Spiro, and Michael Kohn for their contributions to this research.

Funding

This research was supported in part by grants from the Williams Institute at UCLA to Charlotte J. Patterson. We also wish to thank: Amori Yee Mikami, Monica Erbacher, Jacqueline Wheeler, Kathleen Doss, Dylan Comstock, Timothy Tuan, Katherine Jetton, Brittany Shean, Chalatwan Vasontara, Janine Beha, Scott Kraiterman, Carly Roberts, Charlotte Blutstein, Claudia Amendola, Lindsay Walter-Cox, Thomas Lotito, Justin Spiro, and Michael Kohn for their contributions to this research.

Funders	Funder number
UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Developmental and Educational Psychology
Applied Psychology
Life-span and Life-course Studies

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10.1080/10888691.2010.500958

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title = "Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter?",

abstract = "This study investigated child development and parenting in 106 families headed by 27 lesbian, 29 gay, and 50 heterosexual couples (80% White, M1/4 42 years) with young adopted children (41% White, M 1/43 years). Parents and teachers reported that, on average, children were developing in typical ways. Measures of children's adjustment, parenting approaches, parenting stress, and couple relationship adjustment were not significantly associated with parental sexual orientation. However, several family process variables-parenting stress, parenting approaches, and couple relationship adjustment-were found to be significantly associated with children's adjustment, regardless of parental sexual orientation. Implications for understanding the role of gender and sexual orientation in parenting, as well as for legal and policy debates, are discussed.",

author = "Farr, {Rachel H.} and Forssell, {Stephen L.} and Patterson, {Charlotte J.}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was supported in part by grants from the Williams Institute at UCLA to Charlotte J. Patterson. We also wish to thank: Amori Yee Mikami, Monica Erbacher, Jacqueline Wheeler, Kathleen Doss, Dylan Comstock, Timothy Tuan, Katherine Jetton, Brittany Shean, Chalatwan Vasontara, Janine Beha, Scott Kraiterman, Carly Roberts, Charlotte Blutstein, Claudia Amendola, Lindsay Walter-Cox, Thomas Lotito, Justin Spiro, and Michael Kohn for their contributions to this research.",

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AB - This study investigated child development and parenting in 106 families headed by 27 lesbian, 29 gay, and 50 heterosexual couples (80% White, M1/4 42 years) with young adopted children (41% White, M 1/43 years). Parents and teachers reported that, on average, children were developing in typical ways. Measures of children's adjustment, parenting approaches, parenting stress, and couple relationship adjustment were not significantly associated with parental sexual orientation. However, several family process variables-parenting stress, parenting approaches, and couple relationship adjustment-were found to be significantly associated with children's adjustment, regardless of parental sexual orientation. Implications for understanding the role of gender and sexual orientation in parenting, as well as for legal and policy debates, are discussed.

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Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter?

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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