adoptive parents and their children: does sexual orientation matter? charlotte j. patterson...
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Adoptive Parents and Their Children:Does Sexual Orientation Matter?
Charlotte J. PattersonDepartment of Psychology
Studies in Women & Gender ProgramUniversity of Virginia
2nd European Conference on LGBT FamiliesApril 2012
Overview• Lesbian/gay adoption
– Many children need homes– Many lesbian/gay adults want to adopt– Should sexual orientation of prospective parents enter into placement decisions?– Little research
• What is life like for children and parents in lesbian/gay parent adoptive families?
• Lesbian, gay and heterosexual couples • Each with an adopted child, 1 - 5 years old• Systematic sampling frame
– 5 adoption agencies– Families living in 12 states in USA
• Information from multiple sources
Adoptive Families StudyRachel H. Farr, Stephen L. Forssell & Charlotte J. Patterson
University of Virginia
Farr, R. H., Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter? Applied Developmental Science, 14, 164 - 178.
• 106 Families 56 same-sex couples (27 lesbian, 29 gay)
50 heterosexual couples
• Domestic adoptions• Couples are all legally recognized parents• Groups well matched
Adoptive Families Study: Sample
Farr, R. H., Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter? Applied Developmental Science, 14, 164 - 178.
• Parents– 81% white– 42 years old– Most work full time– Well educated– High incomes
• Children– 42% white– 3 years old– Adopted at birth
Adoptive Families Study: Sample
Adoptive Families Study: Topics
• More common among same-sex couples– 54% of lesbian/gay couples – 30% of heterosexual couples
• Both types of families are otherwise demographically similar
• Both transracial and same-race adoptees show positive adjustment
Transracial Adoption
Farr & Patterson (2009). Transracial adoption by lesbian, gay, and heterosexual couples…Adoption Quarterly, 12, 187 – 204.
Parent Adjustment- Parent discipline techniques
- Arnold, O’Leary, Wolff & Acker, 1993- Standardized parent report scale- Parenting Scale
Adoptive Families Study: Topics
Ave
rag
e D
isci
plin
e S
core
Dysfunctional
Functional
N = 212 parents
Parent Discipline Techniques
Ave
rag
e D
isci
plin
e S
core
Dysfunctional
Functional
N = 212 parents
Parents in all three types of families report using positive discipline techniques.
Parent Discipline Techniques
Parental adjustment- Parent discipline techniques- Parenting stress
- Abidin, 1990- Standardized parent report- Parenting Stress Index
Adoptive Families Study: Topics
Parenting StressTo
tal S
tre
ss S
core
N = 212 Parents
Low stress
High stress
Parenting StressTo
tal S
tre
ss S
core
N = 212 Parents
Low stress
High stress
Parents in all three types of families report relatively low parenting stress.
• Parent adjustment• Child development
- Child Behavior ProblemsAchenbach & Rescorla, 2000Parent report: Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Teacher report: Teacher Report Form (TRF)
Adoptive Families Study: Topics
Farr, R. H., Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter? Applied Developmental Science, 14, 164 - 178.
Child Behavior ProblemsT score
N = 106 children
None
Many
Farr, R. H.,Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter? Applied Developmental Science, 14, 164 - 178.
Child Behavior ProblemsT score
N = 106 children
None
Many
Children of lesbian/gay parents have no more behavior problems than othersFarr, R. H., Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter? Applied Developmental Science, 14, 164 - 178.
• Child development- Child behavior problems- Gender role behavior
- Golombok & Rust, 1993- Standardized parent report- Preschoolers Activities Inventory (PSAI)
Adoptive Families Study: Topics
Farr, R. H.,Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter? Applied Developmental Science, 14, 164 - 178.
Age-adjusted score
N = 106 children
Gender Role Behavior
Farr, R. H., Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter? Applied Developmental Science, 14, 164 - 178.
Age-adjusted score
N = 106 children
Gender role behavior was similar among children in all three family groups
Gender Role Behavior
Farr, R. H.l, Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter? Applied Developmental Science, 14, 164 - 178.
Parental adjustmentChild developmentCouple adjustment
- Relationship satisfactionSpanier Dyadic Adjustment ScaleSelf-report by couples
Adoptive Families Study: Topics
Couples’ Overall Relationship QualityTo
tal S
atisf
actio
n
N = 106 CouplesVery satisfied
All couple types report strong relationship satisfaction.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
SpanierPopulation
Mean(Enduring)
Gay Couples LesbianCouples
HeterosexualCouples
SpanierPopulation
Mean(Dissolved)
Parental adjustmentChild developmentCouple adjustment
- Relationship satisfaction- Division of labor
- Cowan & Cowan, Who Does What?- Couples report on their division of labor- Focus here on childcare
Adoptive Families Study: Topics
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Gay Fathers Lesbian Mothers Heterosexual Parents
Parent A
Parent B
*
Couples’ Division of Labor - Childcare
A = MomB = Dad
Aver
age
Child
care
Lab
or
“I do it ALL”
“My partner does it ALL”
N = 106 Couples
Same-sex couples share, but other-sex couples show specialized pattern.
Adoption Study: Interim Summary• Gay/lesbian/heterosexual parents and their
adoptive children similar in many ways• One important difference: Division of labor
– Division of labor studied via parental reports– What do the findings mean?– Role of observational data
• Observational data collected here– Blanket and standard sets of toys– Two parents play with their child– Video records
Couples’ Participation in Parent/Child Interactions
Lesbian/gay couples participated equally, but heterosexual couples did not.
Lesbian Gay Heterosexual1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
Parent AParent B
.
Par
ticip
atio
n
*
What Did Observational Data Reveal?
• Results confirm self-reports about division of labor– Lesbian & gay couples participate equally – they “shared”– Heterosexual couples did not – they “specialized”– Heterosexual mothers are more involved than fathers
What Did Observational Data Reveal?
• Results confirm self-reports about division of labor– Lesbian & gay couples participate equally – they “shared”– Heterosexual couples did not – they “specialized”– Heterosexual mothers are more involved than fathers
• Equality of participation not related to child adjustment
What Did Observational Data Reveal?
• Results confirm self-reports about division of labor• Equality of participation not related to child
adjustment• Some aspects of family interactions were related to
child adjustment– Well adjusted children had involved parents who did not compete– True for all family types
To summarize:
At this age, children don’t care if parents share or specialize; but they flourish best when there is harmony
• Lesbian and gay couples’ parenting styles differ from those of heterosexual couples, but the differences do not affect child development
• Parental sexual orientation irrelevant to overall adjustment of adopted children
• However, many differences among adoptive families emerge in observed interactions, and these are related to children’s behavior
• We are beginning to explore and even understand the meaning of individual differences among these families
• However, much work remains
Adoptive Families Study: Conclusions
• Participating agencies and families• Rachel H. Farr, Ph.D., & Stephen L. Forssell, Ph.D.,
Co-Investigators on Adoptive Families Study• Support from Lesbian Health Fund and from the Williams Institute,
UCLA School of Law
Research Assistants at UVA: • Jacqueline Wheeler• Kathleen Doss• Brittany Sheen• Katherine Jetton• Dylan Comstock• Tim Tuan
Thank you:
Research Assistants at GWU:• Janine Beha• Claudia Amendola• Charlotte Blutstein• Thomas Lotito• Mike Kohn• Scott Kraiterman• Carly Roberts• Lindsay Walter-Cox
Contact Information
Charlotte J. PattersonDepartment of Psychology
P. O. Box 400400University of Virginia
Charlottesville VA 22904USA
(434) [email protected]
http://people.virginia.edu/~cjp/