Study thinks of the children

For the first time, Australian researchers will investigate the impact that same-sex attracted parents have on their children.

A new study by the University of Melbourne could tackle old assumptions of same-sex families by surveying the overall wellbeing of children from LGBT families.

Researchers from the Australian Study of Child Health in Same-Sex Families (ACHESS) are calling for same-sex families with children under 18 years old to take part in the survey.

Lead researcher Dr Simon Crouch said it’s the first study of its kind in Australia.

He said there was very little research internationally looking at the physical, mental and social wellbeing of children from same-sex families.

Most research, Crouch said, focused on the parents and not the children.

“It’s probably going to be the largest study by quite a long way anywhere in the world. Most of these studies are somewhere below 100 children, we’re hoping to get around 500-700 children,” he said.

Using data from the 2001 Australian census, Crouch said there were only about 3000 children living in same-sex families in Australia.

However, Crouch believed this figure to be a “gross underrepresentation” since the census did not count LGBT single parents and families that did not want to identify as same-sex families.

Most international research has shown children with same-sex attracted parents have done pretty well, according to Crouch.

“However, there has been some more research that suggests that when children or families with same-sex attracted parents experience discrimination or stigma, then these children begin to experience some psychosocial issues,” he said.

“So we’re trying to capture the complete physical, mental and social wellbeing [of these children].”

Crouch hoped the research will inform public policy on same-sex families and current issues like marriage equality.

Melbourne University’s Associate Professor at the Department of General Practice Dr Ruth McNair is an expert on lesbian and bisexual women’s health and has expertise on LGBT families.

She is also a member of the research team and said the research would reveal the children’s perspective on what it was like to grow up with same-sex parents.

“There is very little research to date that captures their voice, and it is so important to understand the positives and negatives for them, particularly how they are dealing with any negative social attitudes they encounter,” she said.

The study is funded by the Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program.

Anyone interested can contact Crouch at [email protected]

INFO: www.achess.org.au