Same-sex parents and children's school progress : an association that disappeared over time
Boertien, Diederik (Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics)
Bernardi, Fabrizio (European University Institute)

Date:	2019
Abstract:	Research is divided as to whether children living in same-sex parent families achieve different outcomes compared with their peers. In this article, we improve on earlier estimates of such differences and subsequently study whether and why the association between parental union sex composition and children's school progress changed over time. Data from the American Community Survey waves 2008-2015 (N = 1,952,490 including 7,792 children living with a same-sex couple) indicate that children living with same-sex couples were historically more likely to be behind in school but that this association disappeared over time. Changes in socioeconomic characteristics of same-sex couples played a minor role. In 2008, it was only in areas with unfavorable laws and attitudes toward same-sex couples that children living with same-sex couples were more likely to be behind in school. This was especially the case for adopted children. In more recent periods, no effect of parental union sex composition on school progress is observed within any area or among any group studied. Based on where and when these changes took place, it is suggested that changing attitudes toward same-sex couples might have played an important role in equalizing school progress across groups.
Grants:	European Commission 637768 Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2016-BP-00121
Rights:	Tots els drets reservats.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	Child Outcomes ; Same-sex couples ; Family ; Social Stratification ; Adoption
Published in:	Demography, Vol. 56 Núm. 2 (2019) , p. 477-501, ISSN 1533-7790

DOI: 10.1007/s13524-018-0759-3
PMID: 30673957

Postprint 49 p, 1.5 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Social and Legal Sciences > Centre for Demographic Studies (CED-CERCA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles