ARE LESBIANS THE BEST PARENTS?

A new study in the US has found that 0% of adolescents raised by lesbians have been physically or sexually abused by a parent.

The findings are part of the US National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS), the longest-running study ever conducted on American lesbian families; now in its 24th year.

In an article published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, the 17-year-old daughters and sons of lesbian mothers were asked about sexual abuse, sexual orientation, and sexual behavior.

The paper found that none of the 78 adolescents reported having ever been physically or sexually abused by a parent or other caregiver.

This contrasts with 26% of American adolescents who report parent or caregiver physical abuse and 8.3% who report sexual abuse.

According to the authors, "to the extent that our findings are replicated by other researchers, these reports from adolescents with lesbian mothers have implications for healthcare professionals, policymakers, social service agencies, and child protection experts who seek family models in which violence does not occur."

When it came to their own sexual orientation, only 2.8% of the adolescents identified themselves as predominantly to exclusively homosexual.

The study was conducted through The Williams Institute, a research centre on sexual orientation law and public policy at the UCLA School of Law, by Nanette Gartrell, MD, Henny Bos, PhD (University of Amsterdam), and Naomi Goldberg, MPP.