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Adoptive Parents and Their Children: Does Sexual Orientation Matter?

Adoptive Parents and Their Children: Does Sexual Orientation Matter?. Charlotte J. Patterson Department of Psychology Studies in Women & Gender Program University of Virginia 2 nd European Conference on LGBT Families April 2012. Overview. Lesbian/gay adoption Many children need homes

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Adoptive Parents and Their Children: Does Sexual Orientation Matter?

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  1. Adoptive Parents and Their Children:Does Sexual Orientation Matter?

    Charlotte J. Patterson Department of Psychology Studies in Women & Gender Program University of Virginia 2nd European Conference on LGBT Families April 2012
  2. 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?
  3. Adoptive Families Study Rachel H. Farr, Stephen L. Forssell & Charlotte J. Patterson University of Virginia 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 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.
  4. Adoptive Families Study: Sample 106 Families 56 same-sex couples (27 lesbian, 29 gay) 50 heterosexual couples Domestic adoptions Couples are all legally recognized parents Groups well matched 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.
  5. Adoptive Families Study: Sample Parents 81% white 42 years old Most work full time Well educated High incomes Children 42% white 3 years old Adopted at birth
  6. Adoptive Families Study: Topics Transracial Adoption 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 Farr & Patterson (2009). Transracial adoption by lesbian, gay, and heterosexual couples… Adoption Quarterly, 12, 187 – 204.
  7. Adoptive Families Study: Topics Parent Adjustment Parent discipline techniques Arnold, O’Leary, Wolff & Acker, 1993 Standardized parent report scale Parenting Scale
  8. Parent Discipline Techniques Dysfunctional N = 212 parents Average Discipline Score Functional
  9. Parent Discipline Techniques Dysfunctional N = 212 parents Average Discipline Score Functional  Parents in all three types of families report using positive discipline techniques.
  10. Parental adjustment Parent discipline techniques Parenting stress Abidin, 1990 Standardized parent report Parenting Stress Index Adoptive Families Study: Topics
  11. Parenting Stress High stress N = 212 Parents Total Stress Score Low stress
  12. Parenting Stress High stress N = 212 Parents Total Stress Score Low stress  Parents in all three types of families report relatively low parenting stress.
  13. Adoptive Families Study: Topics Parent adjustment Child development - Child Behavior Problems Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000 Parent report: Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Teacher report: Teacher Report Form (TRF) 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.
  14. Child Behavior Problems Many N = 106 children T score None 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.
  15. Child Behavior Problems Many N = 106 children T score None  Children of lesbian/gay parents have no more behavior problems than others 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.
  16. Adoptive Families Study: Topics Child development Child behavior problems Gender role behavior Golombok & Rust, 1993 Standardized parent report Preschoolers Activities Inventory (PSAI) 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.
  17. Gender Role Behavior N = 106 children Age-adjusted score 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.
  18. Gender Role Behavior N = 106 children Age-adjusted score  Gender role behavior was similar among children in all three family groups 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.
  19. Parental adjustment Child development Couple adjustment Relationship satisfaction Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale Self-report by couples Adoptive Families Study: Topics
  20. Couples’ Overall Relationship Quality Very satisfied N = 106 Couples Total Satisfaction  All couple types report strong relationship satisfaction.
  21. Parental adjustment Child development Couple 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
  22. Couples’ Division of Labor - Childcare “I do it ALL” N = 106 Couples Average Childcare Labor “My partner does it ALL” A = Mom B = Dad  Same-sex couples share, but other-sex couples show specialized pattern.
  23. 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
  24. Couples’ Participation in Parent/Child Interactions * Participation  Lesbian/gay couples participated equally, but heterosexual couples did not.
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. Contact Information Charlotte J. Patterson Department of Psychology P. O. Box 400400 University of Virginia Charlottesville VA 22904 USA (434) 924-0664 patterson@virginia.edu http://people.virginia.edu/~cjp/
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