Influence of Parents on Children's Sexual Orientation
Do parents influence their children's sexuality? The answer may
surprise you: no they do not. It has been found that about 90% of sons of gay
fathers are heterosexual (Bailey 124). It was also found that 90% of daughters
of lesbian women are also heterosexual (Golombok 4). According to a poll taken
by Northwestern University almost 95% of people expect children of homosexual
parents to be homosexual themselves (Bailey 125). This popular belief has
affected many child custody decisions because of the possibility of the parents
molesting the children, or the possibility of the children becoming homosexual
themselves. Even if the children becoming homosexual is a possibility, why deny
custody to a parent based on his or her sexuality?
The question has been raised on what can and what can't make a child
homosexual. Some believe that children learn by imitating their parents. This
theory cannot be totally rejected, but due to recent research it is believed to
be more unlikely. Others have said that children identify with an opposite-sex
parent and copying their behavior, this coupled with a distant same-sex parent
makes the argument even more believable. It is also possible that homosexual
parents reinforce certain types of behavior, either homo- or heterosexual
(Bailey 125-126).
Some say that hormones affect the sexuality of children, which may be
inherited from the parents. For example, an anatomical difference in the
hypothalamus of homosexual men has recently been identified, but the reason for
this difference is still unknown (Golombok 4). Sex hormones are seen by some...
... middle of paper ...
... Whether it be hormones or genes inherited from the parents,
or the environment a child is brought up in, researchers still need to complete
their studies on the issue to find out the truth behind the matter.
Bibliography
Bailey, J. Michael. Sexual Orientation of Adult Sons of Gay Fathers.
Developmental Psychology. 1995, Vol. 31, No. 1, 124-129
Golombok, Susan. Do Parents Influence the Sexual Orientation of Their Children?
Findings From a Longitudinal Study of Lesbian Families. Developmental
Psychology. 1996, Vol. 32, No. 1, 3-11
Meyer-Bahlburg, Heino F.L. Parental Influences on the Development of
Homosexual Orientation. Developmental Psychology. 1995, Vol. 31, No. 1, 12-21
Patterson, Charlotte. Sexual Orientation and Human Development. Developmental
Psychology. 1995, Vol. 31, No. 1, 3-11
The first possible cause of homosexuality is genetic factors. Homosexuality is a trait from birth (Buchanan, 2000). Studies found that identical twins share many common traits. A study found that identical twins normally share homosexual behavior if one of them is homosexual. This proved that genes are likely to cause homosexuality. In addition, according to (Santinover, 2002), homosexuality is a heritable behavior. Based on heritability studies, almost any human trait is heritable including the homosexual behavior. He stated that behavioral genes are found in specific chromosome. Thus, the behavior is obviously heritable. Moreover, Italian University of Padova (2004) believes that homosexual trait is passed from mother to male offspring by natural ...
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Zieve, David, Juhn, Greg, and Eltz, David R. "Child Abuse-Sexual." New York Times. N.p., 13 Oct. 2008. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.
The Fourth Amendment is important for many reasons. In this essay I will outline the historical origins of the Fourth Amendment and assess why its inclusion was so important to those considering ratifying the Constitution. I will also select a case in which a search warrant was used during an investigation. By outlining the case I will state my opinion about whether or not a warrant was necessary and how the search warrant contributed or did not contribute to the result in the case.
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Young children are exposed to violence every day. In TV shows, books, games, cartoons, movies, and the internet, violence is a part of everyone’s lives, but especially those of young kids. For example, recently Paramount Pictures released Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, a weapon slinging twist on a classic fairy tale (McKay). In the movie they have people blow their own heads off with a shotgun. In retrospect this movie isn’t meant for children 13 and below, although kids would want to see a “fairy tale” like this. Young 10 year olds, today even ...
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The Fourth Amendment was in large part a reaction to the general warrants and warrantless searches that had upset the colonists and had helped to speed up the movement for independence. Due to the fact that many goods had been brought illegally into the colonies before and during the Revolutionar...
Pink is for girls and blue is for boys. Isn’t that a stereotype we deal with from the time we escape the womb? Gender is part of our social structure, just as race and class are. When applied to Camara Phyllis Jones ' article, "The Gardener 's Tale," men are the red flowers and women are the pink. From the moment of birth, men and women are put into different pots. (UK essays,2015). For decades Psychologist have been conducting experiments to determine what has an effect on a person’s gender identity. Their conclusions show that biological influences, environmental influences, social learning theory and gender schema theory all have some type of effect on gender identity. There are many sides to Nature vs. Nurture, specifically when it comes to gender identity. However, both sides discussed here agree that nature and
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Sexual abuse is a form of child abuse. It can be defined as “contact or interaction between child and an adult where the child is being used in sexual manner by an adult.” Sex abuse includes a wide range of sexual activities including both nonviolent, nonphysical acts such as revealing themselves to a child along with physical and sometimes violent contact. This contact can include touching, oral or genital contact, genital stimulation and penetration, and exploitation of children through pornography and prostitution. In most cases, the abuser is known to the victim. After the child is sexually abused, many times the abuser then bribes or threatens the victim.