Adolescent Sexual Orientation

Introduction The category of sexual orientation has become more diverse than the past; people have a higher acceptance of homosexuality, transgender and asexuality. After same-sex marriage becomes legal in the U.S., more positive recognition is given to gay and lesbian couples. More importantly, the number of gay and lesbian families keeps increasing. Per a survey of self-identified lesbians and gay men in the 2002, one-third of lesbians and one in six gay men say they have had children (as cited in Macomber et al., 2007). Also, “19% of gay and bisexual men and 49% of lesbians and bisexual women say they have had a child” (Gates, 2012). Even though there are laws to protect these families, they are still under great pressure because of disapproved …show more content…
After these children enter their adulthood, interviews are held to continue researching their developments. There are no major differences of psychiatric histories, general behavior and academic performances between these two groups (Patterson, 2009). However, the early findings are criticized due to children’s age limits and sample numbers. Thus, more research is conducted to focus on adolescent development. The statistics from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health have large samples which are over 12,000 adolescents shows no such problems happen to adolescents from gay and lesbian families compared to adolescents from heterosexual families (Patterson, 2009). However, it doesn’t mean that these adolescents from gay and lesbian families don’t have challenges in their lives. So, for the clinical work with children who are raised by homosexual parents, they should be treated neither ignored nor overemphasized. They should feel free and open to talk about their families. Also, homophobia still exists in this society. As therapists or counselors, they should pay more attention when adolescents express their social …show more content…
For example, family counselling is an important one to help family members deal with psychological problems, especially for children. In school, if they suffer from bullying, health professionals can provide therapy and treatment to help. Also, counselling can assist the communication in the family. Because this type of family is against traditional ideology, so the communication between family members may be difficult. For health professionals, to provide a harmony and open environment is necessary for gay and lesbian families. In addition, the public can get education from the journal published by the scientific organizations such as APA to understand that there is no scientific difference between heterosexual and homosexual people. Thus, discrimination can be reduced by getting scientific education, not just social or religious perspectives. Moreover, gay and lesbian families can join more social activity to show their strength to the society, so they can integrate into this