Ghent University
Sociology
Parental responses to youths’ coming out (CO) are crucial to the subsequent adjustment of children and family. The present study investigated the negative parental reaction to the disclosure of same-sex attraction and the differences... more
Parental responses to youths’ coming out (CO)
are crucial to the subsequent adjustment of children and
family. The present study investigated the negative
parental reaction to the disclosure of same-sex attraction
and the differences between maternal and paternal
responses, as reported by their homosexual daughters and
sons. Participants’ perceptions of their parents’ reactions
(evaluated through the Perceived Parental Reactions Scale,
PPRS), age at CO, gender, parental political orientation,
and religiosity involvement, the family functioning
(assessed through the Family Adaptability and Cohesion
Evaluation Scales), were assessed in 164 Italian gay and
lesbian young adults. Pearson correlation coefficients were
calculated to assess the relation between family functioning
and parental reaction to CO. The paired sample t test was
used to compare mothers and fathers’ scores on the PPRS.
Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to analyze
the relevance of each variable. No differences were found
between mothers and fathers in their reaction to the disclosure.
The analysis showed that a negative reaction to
CO was predicted by parents’ right-wing political conservatism,
strong religious beliefs, and higher scores in the
scales Rigid and Enmeshed. Findings confirm that a negative
parental reaction is the result of poor family resources
to face a stressful situation and a strong belief in traditional
values. These results have important implications in both
clinical and social fields.
are crucial to the subsequent adjustment of children and
family. The present study investigated the negative
parental reaction to the disclosure of same-sex attraction
and the differences between maternal and paternal
responses, as reported by their homosexual daughters and
sons. Participants’ perceptions of their parents’ reactions
(evaluated through the Perceived Parental Reactions Scale,
PPRS), age at CO, gender, parental political orientation,
and religiosity involvement, the family functioning
(assessed through the Family Adaptability and Cohesion
Evaluation Scales), were assessed in 164 Italian gay and
lesbian young adults. Pearson correlation coefficients were
calculated to assess the relation between family functioning
and parental reaction to CO. The paired sample t test was
used to compare mothers and fathers’ scores on the PPRS.
Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to analyze
the relevance of each variable. No differences were found
between mothers and fathers in their reaction to the disclosure.
The analysis showed that a negative reaction to
CO was predicted by parents’ right-wing political conservatism,
strong religious beliefs, and higher scores in the
scales Rigid and Enmeshed. Findings confirm that a negative
parental reaction is the result of poor family resources
to face a stressful situation and a strong belief in traditional
values. These results have important implications in both
clinical and social fields.
- by Lilybeth Fontanesi and +3
- •
Background: A growing body of research claims that sexual minority individuals have nearly twice the suicidal ideation rate of heterosexual individuals. Method: The main objective of the current study was to test a model wherein... more
Background: A growing body of research claims that sexual minority individuals have nearly twice the suicidal ideation rate of heterosexual individuals. Method: The main objective of the current study was to test a model wherein internalized sexual stigma (ISS) mediates the association between some gay-related stressors and suicidal ideation. The present cross-sectional survey involved two samples of lesbian and gay young adults from Spain (N = 209) and Italy (N = 345). The total sample included 316 gay men and 228 lesbian women. Path analysis was used to test the direct and indirect (mediated) effects of the variables from different domains on repulsion by life. Results: In both the Spanish and Italian samples, past victimization experiences and ISS had a signifi cant direct effect on repulsion by life. In both samples, ISS acted as a signifi cant mediator in the effect of the concealment of one’s sexual orientation and the religious involvement of repulsion by life. Conclusion: The current study indicates that ISS is a potential moderator of the effect of concealing one’s sexual orientation, religious involvement, and past experiences of victimization on suicidal attitudes.
- by Roberto Baiocco and +4
- •
The Italian translation of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity was developed and tested among a sample of 575 young people between 16 and 17 years of age attending secular secondary schools in Rome, Italy. The data supported... more
The Italian translation of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity was developed and tested among a sample of 575 young people between 16 and 17 years of age attending secular secondary schools in Rome, Italy. The data supported the unidimensionality, internal consistency reliability and construct validity of this instrument and commend it for further use in contributing to comparative empirical research within the psychology of religion.
The purpose of this present study was to explore the relevance of sexual orientation to suicidal ideation among associated demographic, social, and psychological risk factors in an Italian and a Spanish sample. According to previous... more
The purpose of this present study was to explore the relevance of sexual orientation to suicidal ideation among associated demographic, social, and psychological risk factors in an Italian and a Spanish sample. According to previous research in this area (Haas et al., 2011) and to the minority stress model (Meyer, 2003), we expected to find that gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons are more likely to report suicidal ideation than their heterosexual counterparts. Moreover, we hypothesized that homosexual and bisexual participants with past victimization experiences at school would report higher levels of suicidal ideation than their heterosexual counterparts. Finally, since Italian and Spanish societies are based on a number of religious traditions that maintain conservative opinions, we expected that the protective role of religion in suicidal ideation could differ by sexual orientation.
This study is an extension of earlier research that investigated the nature of homonegativity among Italian people (Lingiardi, Falanga, & D’Augelli, 2005). We used the Modern Homophobia Scale (MHS), adapted to be more appropriate for the... more
This study is an extension of earlier research that investigated the nature of homonegativity among Italian people (Lingiardi, Falanga, & D’Augelli, 2005). We used the Modern Homophobia Scale (MHS), adapted to be more appropriate for the Italian social and cultural context. Associations were examined between homophobic attitudes, demographics, and personality characteristics and contact with lesbians and gay men. Gender issues were considered twice, from the viewpoint of both the agent and the target of the prejudice. The findings indicated that people at higher risk of possessing homonegative attitudes are older; less educated; more involved in religion and politically conservative; characterized by a more conforming, moralistic, and rule-bound personality, according to Cattell’s personality factors; and have poor contact experience with lesbians and gay men. Males tended to have higher levels of homonegativity toward gay men but not toward lesbians. Proposals to reduce antigay bias in the Italian context will be briefly discussed.
ABSTRACT The literature underlines that lesbian mother and gay father families are similar to those with heterosexual parents, regarding family functioning, dyadic satisfaction, and child development. This paper compares 40 same-sex... more
ABSTRACT The literature underlines that lesbian mother and gay father families are similar to those with heterosexual parents, regarding family functioning, dyadic satisfaction, and child development. This paper compares 40 same-sex families and 40 heterosexual parents in the Italian context. In Italy, it is impossible for same-sex couples or single lesbians and gay men to adopt a child, become married, or enter civil partnerships. The participants were administered self-reports, in order to investigate the dyadic relationships, family functioning, and emotional and social adjustment of their children. Lesbian and gay parents reported higher levels of dyadic adjustment, flexibility, and communication in their family than heterosexual parents. Data from the present study demonstrated that children raised by lesbian and gay parents showed a similar level of emotion regulation and psychological well-being than children raised by heterosexual parents. In Italy, negative attitudes towards same-sex families persist and educational programs should be developed to deconstruct stereotypes regarding gay and lesbian parent families. These results have important implications in both clinical and social fields.
Disclosing sexual orientation to parents is a challenging developmental task for lesbian and gay adolescents. The aim of the study is to investigate parental negative reaction to coming out, which is associated with high levels of... more
Disclosing sexual orientation to parents is a challenging developmental task for lesbian and gay adolescents. The aim of the study is to investigate parental negative reaction to coming out, which is associated with high levels of internalized sexual stigma and psychological problems. Participants' perceptions of their parents' reactions, age at coming out, gender, parental political orientation and religiosity, family functioning, and internalized sexual stigma were assessed in 150 Italian homosexual adolescents. Findings confirm that negative parental reactions are connected to poor family functioning and strong beliefs in traditional values. Path analysis results identified that negative reaction to coming out mediates the effect between a more rigid family functioning and internalized sexual stigma. Implications for clinical and social fields are discussed.
RIASSUNTO: La letteratura sottolinea numerose somiglianze tra nuclei familiari composti da persone gay e lesbiche e da persone eterosessuali, rispetto al funzionamento familiare, le competenze genitoriali e un positivo adattamento... more
RIASSUNTO: La letteratura sottolinea numerose somiglianze tra nuclei familiari composti da persone gay e lesbiche e da persone eterosessuali, rispetto al funzionamento familiare, le competenze genitoriali e un positivo adattamento psicologico dei bambini. Obiettivi: Il presente lavoro indaga l’atteggiamento nei confronti della genitorialità omosessuale in un gruppo di genitori gay (N=16) e lesbiche (N=16) confrontando tale gruppo con genitori eterosessuali (padri=16; madri=16) su variabili quali l’adattamento familiare, di coppia e le percezioni delle proprie competenze genitoriali. Metodo: Sono stati somministrati un’intervista semi-strutturata e questionari self-report per indagare le competenze genitoriali, la soddisfazione di coppia, la relazione con la famiglia d’origine e l’adattamento del bambino. Risultati: Le madri lesbiche riferiscono un’elevata soddisfazione di coppia ed una valutazione più favorevole degli esiti di sviluppo dei bambini. I genitori gay e lesbiche, infine,...
- by Salvatore Ioverno and +1
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Even though Italy is still struggling to establish equal rights and access to assisted reproduction techniques for sexual minorities, an increasing number of lesbian women and gay men are now becoming parents. There are only a few studies... more
Even though Italy is still struggling to establish equal rights and access to assisted reproduction techniques for sexual minorities, an increasing number of lesbian women and gay men are now becoming parents. There are only a few studies that have evaluated coparenting in same-sex couples. However, these addressed adoptive couples and not the lesbian and gay parent families through donor insemination or surrogacy, respectively. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Coparenting Scale-Revised and its relationship with dyadic
adjustment, discipline management, and internalized sexual stigma in Italian
same-sex-planned families. The factor structure showed a satisfactory internal
consistency and criterion validity with correlates of coparenting behaviours. While
Family Integrity factor was confirmed, Disparagement and Reprimand dimensions
collapsed into Conflict factor. Non-genetic parents showed lower levels of conflict
than genetic parents. Most importantly, coparenting emerged as a significant
function not shaped by gender, but influenced by parental status and internalized
sexual stigma.
adjustment, discipline management, and internalized sexual stigma in Italian
same-sex-planned families. The factor structure showed a satisfactory internal
consistency and criterion validity with correlates of coparenting behaviours. While
Family Integrity factor was confirmed, Disparagement and Reprimand dimensions
collapsed into Conflict factor. Non-genetic parents showed lower levels of conflict
than genetic parents. Most importantly, coparenting emerged as a significant
function not shaped by gender, but influenced by parental status and internalized
sexual stigma.
The present research investigates differences between heterosexuals and gay men in their attitudes toward effeminate and masculine gay men. More specifically, the role of internalized sexual stigma and perceived masculinity were... more
The present research investigates differences between heterosexuals and gay men in their attitudes toward effeminate and masculine gay men. More specifically, the role of internalized sexual stigma and perceived masculinity were considered to explain emotive reaction toward gay men with gender conforming and non-conforming behaviors. Results showed that effeminate gay men, that is those who enact gender non-conforming behaviors, elicited more negative emotions compared to masculine gay men both in gay and heterosexual respondents with no difference in intensity. Moreover, such negative reactions toward effeminate gay men were more extreme among gay men with high internalized sexual stigma and among heterosexuals with high self-perception of feminine traits. Implications and limitations are discussed.
Bullying is common in U.S. schools and is linked to emotional, behavioral, and academic risk for school-aged students. School policies and practices focused on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) have been designed to reduce... more
Bullying is common in U.S. schools and is linked to emotional, behavioral, and academic risk for school-aged students. School policies and practices focused on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) have been designed to reduce bullying and show promising results. Most studies have drawn from students' reports: We examined teachers' reports of bullying problems in their schools along with their assessments of school safety, combined with principals' reports of SOGI-focused policies and practices. Merging two independent sources of data from over 3000 teachers (California School Climate Survey) and nearly 100 school principals (School Health Profiles) at the school level, we used multi-level models to understand bullying problems in schools. Our results show that SOGI-focused policies reported by principals do not have a strong independent association with teachers' reports of bullying problems in their schools. However, in schools with more SOGI-focused policies, the association between teachers' assessments of school safety and bullying problems is stronger. Recent developments in education law and policy in the United States and their relevance for student well-being are discussed.
Although the scientific literature reported no differences between traditional families and same-sex families, prejudices about same-sex couples' parental skills are still widely pervasive in the public debate. This paper investigates in... more
Although the scientific literature reported no differences between traditional families and same-sex families, prejudices about same-sex couples' parental skills are still widely pervasive in the public debate. This paper investigates in heterosexual, gay, lesbian and bisexual participants, prejudices related to same-sex families and to the different pathways to parenthood for gay and lesbian people. Method: In order to evaluate the attitudes towards same-sex families the following variables have been considered: gender, religion, political orientation, homophobia and contact with gay, lesbian and bisexual people. Attitudes towards same-sex couples' parental skills and towards the different pathways to parenthood have been compared between heterosexual and gay, lesbian and bisexual participants. Results: Contact with gay and lesbians and lower levels of homophobia are associated to positive attitudes towards same-sex families. Adoption for gay and lesbian couples is the most accepted pathway to parenthood. Contrary, in vitro fertilization, surrogacy and adoption for single gay and lesbian people are the least accepted. It is necessary to study and isolate the origins of negative attitudes towards same-sex families in order to promote anti-discriminatory and inclusive policies.
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