Children raised in house holds with same sex parents are likely to be healthier and less argumentative according to preliminary findings of a major study from the University of Melbourne.
The study which took in 500 participants is one of the largest studies looking into the often debated issue. The study which was conducted by Simon R. Crouch, Elizabeth Water, Ruth McNair, Jennifer Power and Elise Davis utilised a number of international recognised tools for measuring child development and mental health. The researchers discovered that self esteem, mental health and time spent with parents does not differ between children who have same sex parents and those in more traditional family structures.
The researchers did find that gay families had a higher level of family cohesion. Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald lead researcher Simon Crouch explained why the research team thought the results were so positive for gay families.
“Because of the situation that same-sex families find themselves in, they are generally more willing to communicate and approach the issues that any child may face at school, like teasing or bullying,” Crouch said. “This fosters openness and means children tend to be more resilient. That would be our hypothesis.”
OIP Staff, stock image
