LGBT Families and Children
Part 1
LGBT families refer to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals raising children as biological or foster parents. Statistics indicate that 14 percent of the 1.1 million same-sex marriages have at least one child under their care (Frisch, 2021). The data shows that approximately 6 million children are living with LGBT parents. Same-sex parents present a diverse and unique approach to parenting compared to heterogeneous parents (Frisch, 2021). The parents present diverse beliefs, cultural practices, and values that may affect a child. When children go to school and find students from heterogeneous families, they may feel uncomfortable (Beck & Wikoff, 2019). Appropriate support for the children is needed to ensure they achieve their personal and academic goals.
Children from same-sex families or partners require appropriate care for them to survive in a dynamic society. For instance, parents and teachers should constantly support the children by talking to them and supporting them emotionally (Beck & Wikoff, 2019). One of the reasons for the intensive support is that children from gay or lesbian marriages are likely to experience bullying and trauma (Beck & Wikoff, 2019). The children are likely to experience family breakdowns when the parents separate.
Child development of children from same-sex marriages is affected. If a child is growing up with two male or female parents, he or she will be lacking one figure. For instance, a child who grows up with two women will lack a father figure (Pepping et al., 2020). Similarly, girls living with two females may lack the opportunities to ask critical questions about womanhood, menstruation, and other sensitive issues. Poor child development may affect the child’s attendance and performance in school (Pepping et al., 2020). Children may experience gender confusion since they do not understand the diversity of their parents. In such cases, the children may follow in the steps of the parents or they may strive to chart their future.
Research shows that children from same-sex or transgender families experience a high risk of bullying in school (Goodboy & Martin, 2018). Children are likely to undermine the family and bully the child. The high risk of bullying presents chances of depression and anxiety. Children with depression and anxiety have tendencies toward poor performance. In some cases, the children can skip school or end up with suicidal thoughts (Goodboy & Martin, 2018). Children from LGBT families are at risk of emotional issues relating to the loss of a parent or marital issues which may affect the child.
Parr 2
Gay or lesbian parents may underreport or detect harassment of children in school. Studies show that children raised by a mother and father experience good relationships with children and teachers (Beck & Wikoff, 2019). Although the concept is a constitutional right in America, some cultural and societal values still oppose it. Same-sex or transgender parenting may be less welcome in some schools. The impact is a lack of support for the child since the parents and teachers are not on good terms (Beck & Wikoff, 2019). In some cases, teachers may ignore the behavior of the child with the assumption that it is emanating from the same-sex or transgender family dynamics. Parents need to strive to support their children to achieve academic goals and participate in diverse extra-curricular activities (Goodboy & Martin, 2018). The support is vital since children from LGBT parents are likely to suffer discrimination, trauma, and bullying which may undermine their academic performance.
Gender confusion among children from LGBT families will trigger low self-esteem and a lack of sense of ownership. Some children may live in denial that they are raised by gay, lesbian or transgender parents (Goodboy & Martin, 2018). The impact will undermine the academic performance of the children. For instance, research shows that children derive their confidence from home. Children with supportive parents join the education system with joy and happiness. They come with enthusiasm that they will achieve their goals. The children look up to their parents and aspire to be like them. Studies show that children from LBGT families first experience the confusion of whether they should aspire to be like their parents or support heterogeneous families (Hanimoglu, 2019). The confusion has a negative impact on the future of a child and their performance in the education system. It takes an intensive and deliberate effort of the teachers to support children from LBGT families to achieve their academic goals (Hanimoglu, 2019). The intensive and deliberate effort will require the participation of the parents to ensure they support the child both at home and in school.
Children from LGBT families can suffer from various legal battles that the parents may be engaged in during divorce, adoption, and custody. In some cases, one parent will choose to relocate after a divorce (Voiculescu & Groza, 2021). The instability both at home and in their personal lives may affect their performance. For instance, a study finds that same-sex and transgender families recorded high cases of parenting stress. Although other studies counter the findings by indicating that LGBT children perform better, further studies are required (Voiculescu & Groza, 2021). However, the social and emotional upheaval has a negative impact on the child, which eventually affects their participation in different activities in school.
Part 3
One of the responses of the teachers to the LGTB families is to avoid discriminating against the children. Teachers should treat all children equally to create a healthy learning environment (Frisch, 2021). For instance, teachers should give opportunities to the children and help them to nurture their talents. The support from the teachers will help them to define a new destiny compared to their background and achieve their goals.
Another strategy is to talk to the children to ensure they are not suffering from mental illness. Children from LGBT families are at risk of depression and anxiety. Research shows that trauma and discrimination in society can trigger depression (Beck & Wikoff, 2019). It is important to constantly engage the children to ensure they are not affected by mental health issues.
Teachers should play the advocacy role by ensuring they support and safeguard the rights of the children. It is unfair for the children to receive any mistreatment from the school or fellow students. Teachers should advocate for an environment that supports diversity and inclusivity (Pepping et al., 2020). It is important to encourage the children to develop coping skills to withstand the social-cultural challenges prevailing in society.
Teachers should ensure that children from LGBT families feel loved. In some cases, the children may feel awkward when they compare themselves with other families. It is vital to ensure the children have the assurance of their capacity despite their family background or parenting dynamics (Goodboy & Martin, 2018). Teachers should use their skills to support the children and engage them in diverse activities such as sports. The objective is to cultivate their personal worth and help them to live like other children from heterogeneous families.
References
Beck, M. J., & Wikoff, H. D. (2019). LGBT Families and School Community Partnerships: A Critical Role for School Counselors. Journal of School Counseling, 17(5), n5.
Frisch, M. (2021). A queer reading of the United States census. In The Life and Afterlife of Gay Neighborhoods (pp. 61-85). Springer, Cham.
Goodboy, A. K., & Martin, M. M. (2018). LGBT bullying in school: perspectives on prevention. Communication Education, 67(4), 513-520.
Hanimoglu, E. (2019). The Role of School Psychologists in Addressing Challenges Facing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Students. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 7(1), 23-29.
Pepping, C. A., Power, J., Bourne, A., & Lyons, A. (2020). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families across the globe. In Cross-Cultural Family Research and Practice (pp. 287-319). Academic Press.
Voiculescu, S., & Groza, O. (2021). Legislating political space for LGBT families: The 2018 referendum on the definition of family in Romania. Area, 53(4), 679-690.
