If you’re in a same-sex couple, your child’s wellbeing may be positively affected. This is according to the interim findings of a University of Melbourne led study, which found that Australian children of same-sex couples fared better on average than families from the general population on measures of general wellness and family cohesion, but continue to be subject to discrimination.
According to Lead researcher Dr Simon Crouch, from the McCaughey Vichealth Centre for Community Wellbeing at the University of Melbourne, the results of the study suggest that children with same-sex attracted parents develop well. He noted, ‘These children are growing up in a range of contexts and score well on measures of health and wellbeing in the face of discrimination.’ This is based on data taken from the global index the Child Health Questionnaire, which measured the health of the children across a number of domains including physical activity, mental health and behaviour.
500 children, aged two months to 17 years, from 315 parents were involved in the Australian Study of Child Health in Same-Sex Families (ACHESS). The range of reported parental sexual orientations included homosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual and queer. Of the respondents, 80% were female parent, 18% were male parent, and 2% were of other gender. 93% of the parents involved in the study were currently in a relationship.
While there were no statistically significant differences on any of the other health measures, children aged five to 17 years with same-sex attracted parents showed a significantly better score on general health and family cohesion when compared to Australian children from all backgrounds and family contexts. However, discrimination in a variety of contexts is still a problem faced by Australian children with same-sex attracted parents and their families.
Dr Crouch commented, ‘There are an increasing number of children with same-sex attracted parents in Australia. International research to date has suggested that these children are doing well in many aspects of their lives, however they are often affected by the discrimination that their families may experience due to parental sexual orientation.’ However, he added, ‘These results are promising and we look forward to further findings which we expect later this year.’