Same-Sex Parents Are Found To Be As Effective As Straight Ones

A new study suggests that same-sex parents are equally capable of raising children just like the straight ones. The researchers have not found any contrasting difference in the way heterosexual parents raise their children and the way same-sex parents raise theirs.

The study published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics debunks common belief that children are better raised by heterosexual parents. The study revealed that same-sex female couples have encountered the same health, emotional and behavioral challenges that are usually encountered by heterosexual couples in raising their kids, reports Australian Network News.

Parents added that researchers analyzed data from the National Survey of Children's Health. They compared different factors in parenting: family relationship, parenting stress, and child outcomes. These factors were analyzed in 95 households with heterosexual parents and the same number of same-sex parents.

"Our study of households with no divorces or other family transitions finds that spouse-partner and parent-child relationships are similar regardless of family structure," Henry Bos and Nanette Gartrell said, lead researchers from of the University of Amsterdam. "These strong relationships are important contributors to good child outcomes - not whether the parents are same-sex or different-sex."

While everything about parenting is the same with same-sex and heterosexual parents, the authors noted that there was a slight increase in the reported stress from the same-sex group. Though there was an increase in the stress level from the same-sex group, there was no impact on children's health, coping and learning behavior.

The added stress may come from how same-sex parents are taken in the society. Earlier studies have shown that lesbian mothers feel more pressured to perfect parenting because of their sexual orientation and the way society judges them.

However, the study was only limited to same-sex female parents since same-sex male parents are very few. The data from the two-dad families are too small to make a reliable conclusion. More so, the information gathered from one of the parents, via phone interview. The statements given were taken as true, no judgment on how reliable the information are, reports Vox.

Vox added that previous studies have also support claims that same-sex parents are also reliable parents. Check out this video from Discovery Channel about the topic: