Reactions to child custody decisions involving homosexual and heterosexual parents

ID:	HARP-470
Title:	Reactions to child custody decisions involving homosexual and heterosexual parents
Source:	Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science , v.27(1) January, 1995 pg 52-63
Parties:
Dispute Resolution Organ:
Year:	1995
Pages:	0
Author(s):
Keywords:	anti-discrimination, Canada, economic, social, and cultural rights, gender equality, human rights, non-discrimination, homosexual marriage/homosexual relationship, civil and political rights, heterosexuality/heterosexualism, minority rights, family
Abstract:	This study examined the effects of homophobia, subject gender, and gender and sexual orientation of petitioning parent on attitudes about judgements in child custody cases. A total of 274 introductory psychology students participated in both phases of the research. In Phase One, subjects completed the Heterosexual Attitudes Toward Homosexuals Scale and the Kinsey Heterosexual – Homosexual Rating Scale that were embedded in a general questionnaire on social attitudes. In Phase Two, these same subjects were asked to give their opinions about the outcome of contrived child custody cases where the parent winning custody was homosexual or heterosexual. As expected, there was less support for a homosexual than a heterosexual parent. This was particularly noticeable for male subjects. Unexpectedly, mothers were not favoured over fathers, but instead subjects favoured parents of the same gender. Further, subjects low in homophobia reacted more favourably to a homosexual parent than a heterosexual parent, while the reverse was true for those high in homophobia. Implications of the results for public and judicial attitudes about custody decisions were considered.
Secured:	False
Download Article:	Available here