Children of Lesbian Parents May Do Better Than Their Peers
In a new study published in Pediatrics journal, researchers Nanette Gartrell and Henry Bos found that “children in lesbian homes scored higher than kids in straight families on some psychological measures of self-esteem and confidence, did better academically and were less likely to have behavioral problems, such as rule-breaking and aggression.”
The data was taken from “planned lesbian families”, or households where both mothers identified themselves as lesbian and went through artificial insemination.
The study also found that “children in same-sex-parent families whose mothers ended up separating did as well as children in lesbian families in which the moms stayed together.”
One theory presented was that lesbian parents tend to be very involved in their children’s lives, although that is not exclusive to lesbian households. Parenting that involves communication about social differences and prejudices are more of a priority in same-sex families which also may influence the findings.
Gartrell is a professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco and a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Bos is a behavioral scientist at the University of Amsterdam. Both have been studying gay and lesbian families for 24 years.
