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FeedStudy Shows Zero Percent of Lesbian Moms are Abusive
In an article published today by The Williams Institute, that researchers, 24 years into the longest-running study of lesbian families, recently reported that the rate of abused children in those families is far lower than the national average. So low, it’s actually zero.
In the study 78 children (39 boys and 39 girls, all age 17) of lesbian mothers were asked about sexual abuse, sexual orientation, and sexual behavior. All reported that they had not been abused in any way, though one did report being verbally abused by a stepmother.
The findings were compared to the 26 percent of American teens who report physical abuse by a parent, and 8.3 percent who report sexual abuse.
The report said of the lack of abuse found in lesbian-parented households, “This finding contradicts the notion, offered in opposition to parenting by gay and lesbian people, that same-sex parents are likely to abuse their offspring sexually.” The study went on to say that, “Growing up in lesbian-headed households may protect children and adolescents from these types of assault.” Not only are children protected from assault but according to research, daughters and sons of lesbian mothers rate higher in academic competence and lower in social problems such as rule-breaking and aggressiveness.
The report also mentioned that daughters of lesbian mothers are more likely than their peers to identify as bisexual or to have had sexual experiences with the same sex. This is possibly due to the fact that lesbian-parented families are more open, and children are less likely to be victimized for same-sex attraction.
Not only is this research valuable because it confirms what we already know (lesbian moms are awesome), but it also provides a useful family model to healthcare professionals and child protection agencies looking for family models in which violence is completely absent.
The study was conducted by Nanette Gartrell, M.D., Henny Bos, Ph.D. (University of Amsterdam), and Naomi Goldberg, M.P.P. (Williams Institute).
[Source: Jezebel]
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Reader Comments:
A study of just 78 children, out of however many there are in gay/lesbian households throughout the world, isn't much of a study at all. I'm not agreeing or disagreeing, just pointing out the logic of claiming something as a truth with only such a minute survey.
any study done has a small percentage of a specific group as a control group. 78 families is a good size group, some of the studies done have a smaller group and they use that to determine theories.
Indeed. If you make cuantitative research about it, you can make a hypothesis out of the data you received, and by making a T-Student calculation, you can see that if we take a bigger group to study, the results are going to be the same.
And research about it is also well-thought and well-prepared, so it's not only a small interview about it, just look at their experience.
Personally, I think this is a very important research that could make room for more.
If these families were indeed a random sampling of all lesbian families, only then can the small sample size work. Also, keep in mind that socio economic and cultural distributions of these families and the "general population" they are comparing it to probably don't match up. Were the same percent of these households in poverty? From the southwest? First generation immigrants?
Not to mention the fact that my mother, though she was married to my father for most of my childhood, is a lesbian and some of her actions definitely were emotional and verbal abuse, even if they were unintentionally so. I was forced into excersize despite complaints of trouble breathing and told my weight was unhealthy and unappealing before I turned 10. I was called crazy and dealt with 2 decades of my mother projecting her feelings and troubles onto me. Since divorcing my father and entering a long term relationship with a women, her behavior hasn't radically changed, but it is impossible to say as I now live at college.
So I promise you, it is not that lesbians can not abuse children.
I think this is a good start, but should not be the end. There should be more studies done, maybe in different parts of the US and then merge all the studies together to determine an actual percentage. The one thing people need to remember is a random sample is best; i.e, the researches don't know where the people came from. As soon as you try to make 1/3 poor, 1/3 rich, etc, it's no longer a random sample. I think this is a good start in the research, but it's hard to believe it's 0% (and what about gay men with children?)
I think that this article just proves that there is no proof of the accusations and allegations and theories people have had for many years. Just because a child has two same-sex parents does not mean that they will be sexually or physically abused. It just proves that gays make excellent parents and they should not be denied this right in some states.
That is great news. Now if they can only get to why the kids that are being raised by lesbians have so many emotional problems, that would be start