Children with lesbian parents: a community study.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Prospective comparative cohort study drawn from a geographic population cohort
PubMed 12518806 · doi:10.1037//0012-1649.39.1.20
What was done
Families were recruited from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a geographic population cohort of approximately 14,000 mothers and their children. The study compared 39 lesbian-mother families, 74 two-parent heterosexual families, and 60 single heterosexual mother families when the children were 7 years old. Standardized interviews and questionnaires evaluating parent-child relationships, socioemotional development, and gender development were administered across multiple informants: mothers, co-mothers/fathers, children, and teachers.
What was found
The abstract provides no numerical values, effect sizes, or test statistics. It reports that findings were consistent with earlier research showing positive mother-child relationships and well-adjusted children among lesbian-mother families.
Why it matters
Early research on same-sex parenting relied heavily on convenience and volunteer samples. By identifying lesbian-mother families within a large, general population cohort, this study reduces recruitment selection bias.
Limits
The abstract reports no numerical findings, effect sizes, or statistical comparisons. The sample size of lesbian-mother families was modest (n = 39). The analysis evaluated children at a single time point (age 7), and specific outcome measures or potential confounding factors are not detailed in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Research demonstrates that boys do not exclusively require male parents to learn how to be men, and can be raised effectively by lesbian parents or single mothers.